Legacy
by J.N.T.P
Summary: Harry suffers through another horrible day at the Dursleys'. Little does he know that this day will start him on a road of discovery and renewal. Sequel Posted
1. So It Begins

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters previously mentioned in the Harry Potter series. Any new names mentioned in this series are my own creation. I am not making a profit from this story and am doing this for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of those who read it._

_Author's note: This story begins the summer after Order of the Phoenix._

The sun crept lazily over the horizon in Surrey one morning in late June. Privet Drive began to stir as the people who lived there woke from their nightly slumbers. This street was normally quiet and peaceful in the early morning hours, but this morning was different; at least for one house.

Number four Privet drive was a hive of activity and excitement as the occupants inside scrambled around making special preparations. This was a special day in this house and everyone was eager to make sure that all was perfect.

Every body except one.

Harry Potter stuffed his head beneath his pillow for the fifth time since the noise had began at around 6:30. It was the only way he could think of to block out part of the noise from the halls and downstairs. Today was his cousin's, Dudley Dursley's, sixteenth birthday. The last time he had checked his watch, it had read at barely 7:20. Harry could hardly believe that his uncle and aunt were up this early, even for Dudley. They had always been content to have a mid-morning breakfast followed by an afternoon outing to a place of Dudley's choosing. Vernon and Petunia Dursley had always made such a fuss for anything that had anything to do with their son.

Harry began to fall short of breath, the pillow still over his head and his face pressed into the sheets. He, reluctantly, pulled it out from underneath. Harry could not sleep with all the noise being made, so he made the decision to get dressed. He put on a pair of jeans and an old shirt, both of which had belonged to Dudley at one point and were, therefore, too large for Harry's small build. He made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Aunt Petunia was standing over the stove, all four burners working hard on different pans of pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs. Harry had not seen a feast like this in the Dursley's home for quite some time, as Petunia had encouraged her husband and son to start eating healthier foods. She was obviously willing to make an exception for her son's special day.

Harry took a seat at the family table across from his rotund uncle, Vernon. The older man had his face buried in the morning newspaper, stopping only long enough to poke his eyes over the paper to give his nephew a menacing glare. "Go help your aunt," he said, coldly. Harry got up from the table and went over to the counter, where he picked up a plate of freshly cooked bacon and warm bagels. He carried them over and set them on the table, then went over to the refrigerator to retrieve a jug of orange juice. Once Petunia had finished with the pancakes, sausage and eggs, she set them on plates and put them on the table. As she left the kitchen to fetch Dudley, Vernon set his paper down and stared at Harry. "Listen to me, boy", he said in an icy voice. "This is a special day for my family and I will not have you ruining it with your ways. Understand?" Harry nodded.

By "his ways", Uncle Vernon was referring to Harry's magical abilities. Harry Potter was a wizard and a right good one at that. Though he was considered an underage wizard, Harry's powers had a funny way of manifesting themselves at the oddest of times. Given previous events, Harry knew that he would have to be very careful.

After a sparse breakfast, for Harry anyway, the family cleaned up and piled into the car. At breakfast, Vernon had announced that they would not be able to take Dudley to anyplace extravagant this year, much to Dudley's annoyance. Vernon told everyone that they would be spending the day at the zoo. Dudley was mildly less annoyed at this idea. He loved going to the zoo, but his memories of the events that happened on his eleventh birthday still haunted him. He was not, however, going to let his parents think they could get away with a less then extravagant outing on his day. He began to sulk and mumble under his breath for about ten minutes before Vernon let a hint slip that they might stop by an auto dealership on the way home. Dudley's expression brightened at the prospect of a new car.

For what seemed like an eternity, Harry endured the long car ride next to his cousin, who kept prattling on and on about what kind of car would make him the envy of everyone else at his school. To keep his sanity, Harry began to think of things that interested him. It took only a second before he thought of the wizard world that he was a part of. He thought of his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry had only received a few letters from each of them over the last month; likewise he had only sent a few letters himself. They had done their best to keep Harry informed about the war effort against Voldemort, the resurrected Dark Wizard, but they knew little more than he did. Harry began to think of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a place that held some of Harry's best, and worst, memories. He thought of the of the teachers, some of which he liked and some he wished he could forget, and of the students. His fellow Gryffindors invaded his mind; Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and…

Harry shook his mind as a particular face entered his mind. _No_, he thought. _I can't let myself get distracted_. Harry did not have long after that to let himself get distracted as Uncle Vernon pulled into the zoo's parking lot. As they all walked along the paths along the tiger's pit, Harry started to distance himself from the Dursley's. As he walked, his mind turned once again to Hogwarts; this time to the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The wise old wizard was a great man and a friend to all. Dumbledore had taken great measures to ensure Harry's safety over the years and was always ready with some piece of advice that was life-saving. However, at the end of last term, Harry had not left the school on the best of terms with the old man. He knew that Dumbledore would hold no grudges against Harry, no matter how many insults he threw at him, how many times Harry had yelled at him. Dumbledore was a very tolerant man.

In all his thoughts, Harry had grown unaware of the people around him. As he leaned over the stonewall of the animal's pit, a man was creeping up behind him. Harry did not have the slightest inclination that his life was in danger until he heard a voice.

"Crucio"


	2. Old Enemies And Older Friends

With reflexes developed over years as a Quidditch seeker, Harry dove to his right and rolled onto his back. When he heard the word "Crucio" uttered, Harry knew that his life was in jeopardy. He got to his feet as fast as he could; the spell that had been cast had hit the wall of the pit, dissipating into nothing. Harry quickly searched for the caster of the illegal curse, and his eyes fell upon a familiar, menacing figure.

Lucius Malfoy was standing ten feet away, with his wand pointing directly at Harry.

Fear struck Harry as he looked into the cold, lifeless eyes of the elder wizard. Malfoy was, by far, one of the worst Death Eaters in Voldemort's army; and now he was after Harry. With all his will, Harry begged his legs to run, but he was frozen to the ground. His mind was the only thing working properly. Why was Malfoy standing here? He was supposed to be in Azkaban prison with a host of other Death Eaters. It was clear, though, that he had broken out.

"Quick as ever, eh Potter?" Malfoy said, with a sneer. "But no amount of speed can make up for what you seem to have forgotten."

Harry was dumbfounded for a moment until his hand fell to his pocket, and he realized what Malfoy meant. He had forgotten his wand. Harry mentally kicked himself for leaving such a valuable item at home. He had hidden it under his mattress to keep his relatives from locking it up somewhere he couldn't find it. Harry had been so adamant to hide his wand, he had left it there this afternoon. It was not that he was careless, it was just that he never suspected a dark wizard to be so bold as to attack him in a Muggle populated area.

This thought jarred Harry's mind. Surely someone would see that he was being attacked and would stop to help; but all the people around him and Malfoy seemed to not notice. Lucius chuckled at Harry's bewilderment. "They can't see or hear you, boy. I've place a charm over this small area that will keep us from being disturbed." As if to prove the point, a couple that had been about to walk in between the two, turned and walked behind Malfoy. "Now where were we? Ah yes."

Harry knew he had little chance of escaping this encounter alive. He had no wand, and no way of getting help. Even if a Muggle had been keen to help him, Malfoy was a fully trained dark wizard. The situation seemed hopeless. Malfoy raise his wand above his head. "I shall surely be rewarded for this."

"_Avada…"_

A Muggle in a blue button down shirt suddenly flung himself into Malfoy before he could finish the incantation. Lucius and the man fell to the ground, which was definitely noticed by the surrounding people. Either the charm had been broken or they had rolled out of the protective area. The man began hitting Malfoy with his right fist while his left hand was clamped around Malfoy's wrist, keeping the wand pointed away from the scattering people. He began shouting "He's Got A Gun!" over and over, forcing the last of the stragglers to flee for their safety. Only curiosity kept Harry from running like everyone else.

The mystery man rolled off of Malfoy once the people around them had cleared. Harry took cover behind a bench. The Muggle reached into his shirt and pulled out a wooden stick; a wand. This was no Muggle; he was a wizard. Harry's heart leapt as he now had an ally against Malfoy. Malfoy made his way to his feet, his right hand covering his face where the other man's hand had been hitting. "Who are you?" he scowled.

The stranger waved his wand and muttered an incantation that Harry could not understand. "You really should be more careful about keeping up your wards, Malfoy." This man was an American. Harry had never met an American wizard. A group of policeman came running around a corner and headed straight towards Malfoy and the American. However, they passed right behind Malfoy, as the couple from earlier had done. "You wouldn't want other people to see me hex the living hell out of you, would you? Besides, I doubt the Ministry of Magic would find it amusing that two wizards were dueling in a Muggle populated area. Cornelius Fudge gets annoyed at those kinds of things."

The two wizards circled one another, keeping their wands pointed at one another. Malfoy looked beyond the American and smiled. Thinking he was about to be ambushed the American took his eyes away from Malfoy for a moment. A moment too long, for it was a feint.

"_Impedimenta!"_

Malfoy had made the first move. The American dodged the spell and countered. _"Stupefy!"_ The spell shot wide to Malfoy's left side, but it had been intentional. Malfoy was quick to move to his right, but too late to realize he didn't have to. _"Stupefy!"_ The second spell hit the Death Eater in the chest, but did only minimal damage.

Harry's heart sank again. The stunning spell should have been enough to knock Malfoy to the ground, but it only took the wind out of him. Harry guessed that this guy must not be very good at spells. His confidence in his savior dropped even further when he saw the American hold his wand up to his face and start talking to it. "Don't start acting up on me now," he said. "I promise I won't throw you into the fire again." _Again?_ Harry thought. This guy had to be mental.

In the lull, Malfoy was able to compose himself. He turned on his adversary. _"Crucio!"_ The stranger made no attempt to avoid the spell. Instead, he simply made a horizontal slash with his wand at chest level. A barrier formed and deflected the unforgivable curse. Malfoy was shocked, more so that this seemingly novice wizard had formed such a strong barrier than the fact that the barrier could be formed at all. The stranger gave Malfoy a wide smile. _"Stupefy!"_

Harry knew that this spell was at full power. Before it could connect, however, there was a _pop!_ and Malfoy was gone. He had disapparated. "Coward," the strange wizard had said. He put his wand back in his shirt and turned to Harry. "You all right?"

Harry stood from behind the bench and nodded, too stunned by the events to speak. "Good," the American said. "Come on, we have to leave before Malfoy decides to grow a backbone." The boy didn't move. "Harry, you can trust me. Dumbledore sent me." This did a little to alleviate Harry's apprehension about the stranger. If Dumbledore had the sense to trust this man, Harry surely could. He took a glance around the area. Everyone had left, including the Dursley's, Harry's only means of leaving this place. Harry had little choice but to trust this man.


	3. Trust

Bottom of Form

The American wizard led Harry out of the zoo, which had erupted with police and news reporters. After word of a mad gunman had reached public ears, it was only a matter a time before the media was alerted. He had Harry firmly gripped by his right arm and was steering him through the crowd. Reporters and police tried to detain them for questioning, but the American pushed past them and lead Harry to a silver sports car. "In," he said.

Harry climbed into the passengers' side as the other wizard started the car on the driver's side. They pulled out of the parking lot a moment later, an amazing feat as it was packed with police cars and reporters vans. Harry thought for a minute if any of those reporters might be working for the _Daily Prophet,_ the newspaper that all wizards read. No doubt word of this exploit would soon reach their ears as well.

The car was silent for what seemed like ten minutes before Harry worked up the courage to speak. "Who are you?" he asked. Best to start with the small questions.

"My name is Kevin Hall," the American replied. "I'm a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry knew this guy was on the level now. Few people outside the Order itself knew of the secret societies existence. If Kevin knew of it, then he must be a member; and if he was a member, then there was no doubt that Dumbledore had sent him. But why had he been sent? "Has something happened?" he asked.

Kevin looked at Harry with a disbelieving look. "Of course something happened. You were attacked, or did you forget the last twenty minutes?"

"No," Harry replied. "What I mean is, has something _besides_ that happened?"

Kevin turned his head back to the road. "A lot, but a major concern of late has been the bounty that Voldemort has placed on your head." Harry's eyes widened in shock. "Yeah," Kevin said. "That's what Malfoy meant when he said he'd be rewarded. The Death Eater that puts you away will be _the_ right hand to Voldemort himself." Harry was stunned.

This was not the first time that his life had been endangered. On the contrary, it was a miracle if he went six months without someone trying to kill him, but it was always one person or another. If what Kevin was saying was true, the entire Death Eater contingent was going to be after him. Harry was unsure how to react to this news.

Harry had been so preoccupied with this information, he had only just realized that Kevin had stopped in front of a familiar house. Harry was brought back to reality and his face became one of disgust. "What are we doing back here?" Kevin had stopped at number four Privet Drive.

"This is your home isn't it?" Kevin asked.

Harry looked back at him in disgust. "This is where I live."

Kevin understood that tone of voice. "We won't be here long." They walked up to the door, which Kevin found was locked as he jiggled the knob. "Maybe they haven't made it back yet." Harry patted his arm and pointed to the driveway. Kevin looked and saw the Dursley's car parked. "Loyal relatives, aren't they?" He pulled his wand from his shirt.

"_Alohomora!"_

The locked clicked and the door opened. The two walked inside and Kevin motioned upstairs. "Go and pack your things, Harry," Kevin said. Harry stood still for a moment, not sure if he had heard the older wizard correctly. Kevin saw Harry's hesitation. "Go on, we haven't got all day." Harry bounded up the stairs. Kevin could see a smile on Harry's face as he turned towards the hall. For a moment, Kevin thought he saw a crack in the door to the living room, and then he heard the door shut.

_Bingo,_ he thought.

Kevin walked over to the door and, for a moment, considered using his wand again. He tucked it back in his shirt, another idea crossing his mind. He took hold of the handles of the two sliding doors. With great force, he pulled them apart with a _crack!_ Kevin stepped into the living room, a smug grin on his lips. He took a quick glance around the room before he saw two portly men and a frail woman cowering in the corner. Kevin tried his hardest to suppress a laugh at this sight. Every moral fiber in his body told him that he should not find this funny, but he did all the same. "Don't worry," he said, in a not so reassuring tone of voice. "I won't hurt you…" he lifted his wand "…unless you give me reason to."

Vernon stepped forward, trembling. "Who…who are you?"

Kevin started to twirl his wand between his fingers and it emitted silver sparks. Vernon jumped back. "I'm the man who brought your nephew home after you all so lovingly abandoned him."

"It's not our fault if the boy doesn't have the sense to run when a maniac with a gun comes wandering around," Vernon retorted. "We waited for…"

"…three seconds," Kevin finished. "I saw the way you all ran away, or waddled away in the case of you two walruses, after that…what's the word I'm looking for…oh yeah, _wizard_ was taken down." The Dursleys looked as if he had hexed them all. Kevin knew that this was an unwelcome term in this house.

"That man was a wi…one of his kind," Vernon replied, refusing to use the correct term. "Out in broad daylight?"

Kevin stopped twirling his wand. "Look, whatever your personal feelings, you can say the word and it won't kill you. And yes, wizards do journey out into sunlight every now and then." He took a breath. "But this one surprised me as much as it did you." There was a clambering noise from the entry hall. "As for the boy, he isn't your problem anymore. I'm taking him with me and if he ever is forced to come back here you can be sure that I am dead. So, however you want to take that, we're leaving."

As Kevin turned his back on the Muggles, he heard Vernon call after him. "Well, good riddance to the ungrateful little…"

Kevin turned sharply and pointed his wand directly at Vernon. "Don't finish that sentence," he said, coldly. The Dursleys huddled together fearing the worst, but let out a sigh of relief when they heard the front door shut and a car engine speed away.

Harry could hardly believe what he had heard. When he was dragging his school trunk into the front hall, he overheard Kevin telling the Dursleys that he was taking Harry away from them, and he wasn't coming back. Apprehension and elation mixed in Harry's mind as Kevin drove the sports car onto the main road. Harry knew nothing about this strange wizard, except that he was a friend of Dumbledore's. That should have been enough, but there was still a bit of suspicion.

Kevin seemed to have Harry's best interest at heart. He had taken him from the Dursley's, which was always a good thing, and he had saved him from Malfoy. All that, and being in the Order of the Phoenix, should have been enough for Harry to trust him. But Harry had been trusting in the past, and it did not always work out for the best. Was Kevin for real, or was he a Death Eater trying to gain his favor.

Kevin picked up on Harry's feelings. "You can't be sure whether or not to trust me," he said, matter-of-factly. "I can take you back to the Dursley's if you want." Harry shook his head. "I didn't think so." Kevin pulled off the main road onto a farm road, into a forest and stopped. He turned to Harry. Look, the only thing I can ask is that you have a little blind trust. In time, you'll see why I am your friend. OK?" He extended a hand. Kevin's tone alleviated the rest of Harry's fears about the American wizard. He shook his hand.

"So," he said. "Where are we going?"

"Oklahoma."

"Where?"

Kevin reached down to his left and pulled a cassette tape from a compartment. "We're going to Tulsa, Oklahoma."

"How?" Harry asked.

Kevin nodded at the tape and placed it in the stereo. After a moment, Harry felt a jerk behind his navel as he, Kevin, and the car were whisked away.


	4. A ReAquaintance

"A portkey?"

They had appeared inside of a car garage along side of a red sports car. Kevin got out. "How else did you think we were going to travel?" Harry shrugged.

Kevin popped the trunk of the car and motioned for Harry to take his owl, Hedwig, from the backseat. Harry eased the snowy owl's cage out of the car as he heard Kevin struggle with Harry's trunk. He closed the door and walked to the back. "Need any help?"

"Help with what?" Kevin asked. He was holding his wand out and levitating the trunk at waist level. They exited the garage and Harry's eyes lit up in astonishment. They had arrived in an opulent neighborhood with grand houses made of brick ad stone lining the street on each side. But the one that seemed the most spectacular was the one, which was placed before him. It was a two-story house on a raised hill with sloping walkways off to the side and in the front. The house was painted a deep maroon, and windows lined the two stories. Harry counted nine large windowpanes on the front, five on top and four on bottom. Kevin led him to the front doors, which were carved from oak.

As Harry walked inside, he was speechless at the sight. The floors of the entry hall were laid with polished tile and covered with exotic rugs from around the world. Large Marble columns seemed to make a path leading to the bottom of a grand staircase. Kevin set the trunk near the front doors. "You can let Hedwig out of her cage if you want, Harry. I'm sure she would have fun exploring this place." Harry set the cage near his trunk and opened the door. Indeed, Hedwig soared from her cage and took flight to the upstairs.

Kevin led Harry to a room off to the right, which Harry guessed was the living room. Three long couches, which could probably seat four people each, were spaced around the room. Several reclining chairs filled the gaps between them and Harry thought he might like to try out one of them soon. A large screen television was set off to one side of the room, while a great fireplace was off to the other. Harry noticed that this room was carpeted and looked like it could be very comfortable on his bare feet. The entire room seemed to say, "Relax." Harry was sure he would.

"The best is yet to come," Kevin told him as he saw the younger boy glance around every part of the room. He steered Harry through another door at the back of this room, which led to a stone pavilion outside. Patio tables and chairs were set across the slab of stone and stopped at a large stone staircase leading down to a garden path. They walked through it till they came upon a large swimming pool. Harry saw beach chairs spread around the pool, but one chair in particular caught his attention. He saw a girl reclining in it… a girl with brown-red hair and a fair complexion. She was reclining with her back to the boys, but seemed to notice when they approached.

She stood and Harry's breath was momentarily caught in his throat. This girl was a tall and lean work of art. She was wearing a red bikini, which caused Harry to blush a bit at the sight. Kevin went over to her and placed his arms around her waist as she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank God the two of you are safe," she said. This woman was an American as well, which quelled Harry's earlier notions about her. He had thought, for the briefest of moments that this girl was a member of the Weasley family.

"I told you there was no reason to worry," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I haven't met a Death Eater yet that could outsmart me." He released her from the embrace, but left an arm around her waist. They turned their attention to Harry and Kevin motioned with his hand. "Harry Potter," he said, "meet Sara Hall, my wife."

Harry gave a slight bow. "Pleasure to meet you," he said. His face turned red again as his eyes, accidentally, roamed over Sara's body. Sara smiled at the courtesy bow and nodded. "And you as well."

The warm smile and pleasant voice again reminded Harry of someone in the Weasley family. It reminded him of…

"Harry!"

A voice from the pool pulled Harry's attention from Sara to someone else. Emerging from the water, wearing a modest light blue swimsuit, was Ginny Weasley. Harry was transfixed on her as she walked over to where the three other people had been talking. "When did you get here?"

Harry did not answer right away as he was focused on the sight of Ginny's bare skin. The water running down her legs and arms glistened in the sunlight. Kevin caught this hesitation and covered for the boy. "We just got here," he said. Harry shot Kevin a grateful look.

"Did you have any problems?" Sara asked, also noting Harry's inability to speak and wanting to spare the boy any embarrassment.

"A few," Kevin answered. "Nothing too serious." He gave his wife another kiss. "Why don't you girls go and get cleaned up while Harry and I fix something to eat?" He let go of his wife and walked over to Harry, laying a hand on his shoulder. "What do you say?"

Harry's gaze did not leave Ginny. "All right," he said. Sara picked up a towel from a beach chair and handed it to Ginny, who wrapped it around herself. The girls walked back towards the house with Kevin and Harry looking on after them. "Beautiful," Harry heard Kevin say. After a moment, he felt Kevin nudge him forward. "Come on, Harry. We don't want to keep the girls waiting."

As they walked back to the house, Kevin leaned close to Harry's ear and lowered his voice. "And next time, Harry, try to keep your jaw off the floor."

The guys pulled different varieties of meat, bread, cheese and vegetables from the various cabinets in the kitchen. Harry was not surprised that this room was as lavish as the others in the house. White tiles and fine wood cupboards seemed the appropriate choice to match the rest of the opulence. Kevin had just started slicing a tomato when Harry broke the silence. "So, why is Ginny here?" he asked.

Kevin smirked. He'd guessed that Harry's first question would have nothing to do with Voldemort, Malfoy or why he had been taken from the Dursley's so abruptly. "her parents asked Sara and I to look after her until school starts. Fred and George offered to watch her at their joke shop in Diagon Alley, but she declined in a way that told her mother it might be better this way. Besides, Arthur and Molly have been friends of ours for years."

Is Ron going to stay here?"

Kevin shook his head. "Ron is staying with the twins. Besides, I doubt that there is going to be any room in the next few days." A shower faucet turned on upstairs.

_No room?_Harry thought, remembering the extravagant upstairs. _What is going on here?_


	5. The Truth About The World

"Is Ron going to stay here?"

Ginny let out a weak sigh. _Of course he would ask about Ron,_she thought. Ginny had been listening to the conversation from the top of the stairs. At the mention of her brother, she quickly left her perch and went into the nearest bathroom. She laid a pair of shorts and a pink shirt on the bathroom counter, turned on the shower faucet, stripped off her bathing suit and stepped under the water. She washed quickly, not wanting to keep everybody waiting, but her mind was working as fast as her hands.

What was Harry doing here? Something had obviously happened that had forced him away from his adoptive family, but what? She didn't understand why Kevin and Sara had been sent for him and not someone he had known and trusted, like Professor Lupin, or her mother and father. While she liked them both, Kevin and Sara had been acting odd over the last few days. They had both been very nice and fun to be around, but they had been bringing extra beds into the house. It was as if they were expecting more people, but whom? Students, or more adults?

Ginny shook her head. These were questions she would have to ask Kevin and Sara themselves. She rinsed herself clean and turned off the water. Grabbing a bath towel, Ginny dried herself and changed into the clothes she had brought in with her.

Ginny bounded down the stairs and headed off to her right. She entered a dining room with a long wooden table. The two sides could seat twelve people each, while one could sit at the head of the table and one at the foot. In front of each chair was a linen place mat, which had a silver plate on top of it. A crystal goblet and flatware lay beside each plate, reminding Ginny of the tables in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She continued on towards the kitchen and found Kevin and Harry putting together a platter of meats, chesses and vegetables. She and Harry exchanged glances before Kevin handed her a platter. "Would you take that to Sara on the patio?" he asked.

Ginny smiled at him in acknowledgment. She carried the tray back through the dining room, through the living room and out the door to the stone patio. Sara was found setting plates on a table. She gave Ginny an affectionate squeeze on her shoulder as the young girl set the tray in the center of the table. The guys soon came out carrying trays of bread, fruit and a jug of lemonade.

The four of them took a seat around the table and began putting together sandwiches of turkey, ham and roast beef. They ate in moderate silence for a few minutes before Ginny spoke up. "Harry," she said. "Why aren't you still staying with your relatives?"

Harry paused, unsure how much to tell her, but an approving nod from Kevin quashed that debate. "I was attacked," he said.

The statement caused Ginny to choke on her ham sandwich. Sara patted her back until it passed. "You were attacked?" she asked in disbelief. "Who? Where?"

Harry didn't know where to begin. "I was out with my relatives and Lucius Malfoy showed up."

"Malfoy?" This surprised Ginny. "But he should be locked up in Azkaban, shouldn't he?" She looked over at Kevin. Harry's gaze followed hers.

Kevin took a long drink from his glass. There was a moment of pure silence before he said, "Azkaban prison is empty."

Harry looked as if he were going to be sick. "Empty?" His voice was a whisper.

Sara took up the conversation here. "Without the Dementors to guard the place, Azkaban became a revolving door for Dark Wizards. One week ago, there was a massive breakout."

Another few moments of silence passed. Kevin took an apple from the fruit tray and bit into it. A determined look found its way to Harry's face. "Well, we have to do something. Surely the Order could use can use another wand to help out." He started to stand.

Kevin reached over and pushed Harry back into his chair by his shoulder. "Dumbledore said you had a brash streak. I didn't save you from one Death Eater so you could go out and find a hundred more. You're here because it's the safest place for you and here's where you are going to stay." Ginny saw that Harry wanted to press the matter further, but Kevin's eyes and voice had closed the discussion.

She decided to try and help Harry out a bit. "Can you at least tell us what's been going on, Kevin? Maybe it will calm Harry down a bit." She shot Harry a comical look.

Kevin conceded to Ginny's request. "The most we know is that Voldemort put a nice bounty on your life, Harry. Something spooked him enough to call off all his other major plans for the moment. Once we got wind of it, Dumbledore sent me to get you. Everything else is just the usual minor mayhem and terror."

"Is the Ministry cooperating now that Voldemort's return has gone public?" Harry couldn't believe he had just heard Ginny say his name.

Kevin nodded. "Mostly. Even though he has openly acknowledged that Voldemort has been revived, Fudge is still trying to downplay the importance of it all. Thankfully, heads of other departments are being more cooperative then the minister. The Magical Law Enforcement Department has supplied a contingent of Aurors to aid us in our campaigns."

"Has the Order gone public?" Harry asked, remembering that it was Kevin's knowledge about this "supposed secret" society that made Harry trust him.

Kevin shook his head. "The Order, no, but the ministry has asked Dumbledore to coordinate offensives. He's back in the ministries good graces after what happened three weeks ago, and he's using Phoenix members in these offensives."

"Well," Ginny said, smiling. "Sounds like things are going well then."

Kevin sat silent.

Sara jumped in again. "Actually, even though Voldemort has stopped his major plans, the Death Eaters are making life terrible for wizard families. There have been constant attacks, which is where we come in." She nodded at Kevin. Ginny shot Harry a questioning look. Harry shrugged. "Oh come on, Ginny," Sara said. "You have to have noticed the extra beds upstairs."

"Yeah, I did," Ginny replied.

"Well, with all the attacks, there are some families who are a little worried for their children's safety. You see, most of the attacks have been directed towards Hogwarts' students and incoming students. Parents are concerned about how to keep them safe enough to get them to school. So, wizards around the world are setting up these safe houses for students to stay at. They'll stay there until term starts." Sara stood up, took her husband's empty plate along with her own, and walked into the house.

Harry took Ginny's plate and set it on top of his own. "How many more students are coming here?" They all stood and walked towards the house.

"About eighteen more," Kevin answered. "They'll mainly be first and second-years, but there will be a few upper class students." He took the plates from Harry's hands as they entered the kitchen and set them in the sink. He looked around. "Where did Sara go?" They went back into the main hall and Kevin called up the stairs. "Sara, are you up there?"

There came the sound of fast approaching footsteps from the upstairs. Four large dogs came bounding down the stairs. A Golden Retriever and a black Labrador leapt from the stairs into Kevin's torso, knocking him on his back. They licked at his face and neck as a Saint Bernard and a German Shepard nudged him with their noses. Kevin covered his face with his arms and tried to stand up.

Sara came down the stairs and helped her husband. She pulled the Retriever and the Labrador away while Kevin handled the other two. "Chris, Shawn, sit," he said to the German Shepard and the Saint Bernard. The animals obeyed.

"Sorry about that," Sara said, still holding onto the other dogs. "When they heard you call, they had to come and see you." Kevin gave each dog an affectionate pat on the head.

"Yeah, I bet they did," he replied. Kevin turned to Harry and Ginny. "Well, meet the rest of the family. This is Chris," he pointed to the German Shepard, "Shawn," the Saint Bernard, "Stacy," the Labrador, "and Lita," the Golden Retriever. Ginny knelt down in front of Stacy and Lita. "They're beautiful," she said, as she scratched the dogs behind their ears.

Kevin nudged Harry's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get your stuff put in your room." He took out his wand and waved it at Harry's trunk. It rose into the air and followed the two guys up the stairs. Halfway up, Kevin turned back around. "Sara, don't forget that the first of the students should be arriving some time today." Sara nodded in acknowledgment.


	6. Truth and Consequences

Over the next few days, students began arriving at the house. Kevin had been right when he said most of the students would be second years and incoming first years. Nine students had arrived so far by portkeys that Kevin had sent to them. Harry had been helping settle the boys in while Ginny dealt with the girls. Today, Harry was guiding a second year Ravenclaw and an incoming student to their rooms. "This is where you will be staying," he said, stopping at a room. "Robert," he addressed the Ravenclaw boy. "You can put your things over there." Harry pointed to a bed in a corner. "And Trey, you're over there." He pointed to a bed beside Robert's. "Once your settled, come on downstairs."

"Yes, sir," the boys said.

Harry blushed a bit every time a younger student addressed him formally. He walked back down the stairs. Sara came walking out of the kitchen. "Did you get the boys settled?" Harry nodded. "Good. Kevin wants to see you in the garden."

Harry walked through the living room where he saw Ginny helping three second year girls with a History of Magic essay. She gave him a warm smile, then turned back to the girls. Once outside, Harry could hear a voice calling out. He followed it till he came to an enclosed area, with shrubs forming walls. Kevin was there with the dogs, whom were circling him. Kevin had his wand out. _"Stupefy!"_He shot a spell at Chris, who dodged it. Another stunning spell was shot towards Stacy, but she also moved fast enough to avoid it. Finally, Kevin's spell connected with Lita, but it seemed not to have any effect.

"Excellent!" Kevin yelled. "All right, go inside and get something to eat." The dogs left the area. "Harry, come over here and sit down." They walked over to a stone bench.

"What were you doing?" Harry asked.

"Practicing," Kevin replied. "If I can hit an agile dog, then a Death Eater doesn't stand a chance."

"Why didn't your spell work, though?"

"These dogs are magically enchanted," Kevin said. "Sara and I have raised them to be resistant to spells and hexes. We're training them to help us fight the Death Eaters."

Harry nodded, and there was silence for a moment. Kevin let it hang before he spoke again. "Harry, I've been getting the feeling that you have a few questions you've been wanting to ask."

Harry sat still. "Well, there have been a few, but I've been a bit worried that they are the kind of questions you won't answer." He didn't say that every time he tried to ask Albus Dumbledore important questions, Dumbledore would stonewall him.

Kevin gave Harry a pat on his shoulder. "Harry, listen to me. No matter how horrible my answer might be, if you deserve to know, I will tell you."

"All right," Harry said. He looked directly at Kevin. "Why is Voldemort trying so hard to kill me? What would make him abandon everything else just to hunt me?"

Kevin took a deep breath. "I knew this would be first. Okay, do you remember what Dumbledore told you about the prophecy that dealt with you and Voldemort?" Harry nodded. "Well, Voldemort found out about it."

"But Professor Dumbledore told me that Voldemort already knew about it."

"He knew about the first part," Kevin said. "Now he knows the whole prophecy."

"How?" Harry asked. "It was destroyed."

Kevin shook his head. "You're forgetting that only the record of the prophecy was destroyed, but the person who predicted it is still alive."

Harry's face formed an expression of shock. "Professor Trelawney."

"That's right. Ten days ago she went missing. When Dumbledore found out, he knew what Voldemort had discovered from Sybill and contacted me. I staked out your place until you and your family left and shadowed you to the zoo. The rest you already know." Kevin stood and started pacing.

Harry was at a loss for words. He sat stunned. Professor Trelawney one of his favorite teachers, but he would not want this to have happened. "Have you any idea where she is?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, we have an idea. In fact, a few members are planning a rescue as soon as possible. We should have her back within a week, but there's no telling what kind of state she'll be in. Death Eaters can do some horrible things to a person." Harry had seen what Kevin was talking about. "That's another reason you're here with Sara and me." He sat back down next to Harry. "Anything else you wanted to ask?"

Harry's mind went blank as he tried to think of an answer. "Yes…no…I don't know." He put his face in his hands. "I didn't expect all that."

Kevin laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Yeah, I thought all that would be a little too much, but like I said, you deserved to know it." There were a few more minutes of silence.

Finally, Harry brought his face out of his hands. "Thank you."

Kevin smiled. "You're welcome, Harry. Are you sure that there's nothing else you want to ask me?"

Harry started to chuckle. "Yeah, there is one more thing you can clear up. I've been wondering this since we met. Why do you talk to your wand?"

Kevin had to think for a minute, then started laughing. "Oh, that. That was a diversion tactic. I was trying to take Malfoy off his game, and it worked. I purposely used a weak spell and made it look like my wand had a mind of it's own. This let me get the drop on him later."

"So you're not mental?" Harry asked.

Kevin tilted his head up towards the sky. "Sara might say that I am sometimes, but being crazy can keep me from going insane." A demented look formed on Kevin's face, then he started laughing. Harry followed Kevin's lead and soon they shared a joyous laugh.

Suddenly, Chris came running from the house, barking wildly. Sara followed soon with Lita at her heels. "Kevin," she called. "they're here. You've got to come." There was a hint of panic in her voice.

Kevin sprang to his feet and sprinted towards Sara. Together, with Harry and the dogs close behind, they ran into the house and headed for the front door. Ginny and the other girls had noticed the commotion and rose to their feet. "Harry," she said. "What's going on?"

Harry shook his head. "No idea."

Sara opened the front doors and turned to Harry and Ginny. "You two, keep the younger kids back." She and Kevin headed outside. Ginny ushered the girls back into the living room, while Harry looked out into the front yard.

"What do you see, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry's gaze fell upon the driveway where a blue minivan was parked. Sara was talking to a man and a woman, who both looked frightened and worried. Kevin was leaning over something in the van. Stacy was standing beside Kevin, her ears laid down as if she were concerned about something. Harry tried to leave the house, but held back by Lita. She had her jaws clamped onto the cuff of Harry's right pant leg. "Let go of me," he said, trying to shake his leg free. Lita, however, would not relent and pulled him away from the door. She dragged Harry into the living room, and Harry soon found out why.

Kevin came back through the door, carrying a young girl in his arms. She looked pale and her brown hair was disheveled. Kevin raced upstairs and, as he shifted the girl in his arms, Harry and Ginny saw her face.

Ginny turned as white as the girl. "Harry, that was…"

"Hermione."


	7. The Past Lingers

Bottom of Form

The door to Ginny's room was closed, with Shawn and Chris guarding it. Kevin had taken Hermione's limp body in here, but he had refused to let Harry and Ginny into see her. Sara came running down the hall holding a plastic box. Harry jumped in her way. "Sara, what's going on? What is wrong with Hermione?"

Sara stopped, but the panic did not leave her face. "Harry, please. I have to get in there."

Ginny reached out and touched Harry's arm. "Let her pass, Harry."

Her touch had sent a shiver through Harry, but he did as she asked. Sara went past the dogs into the bedroom. Harry started to pace, but he felt something tug on his arm. Ginny had not let go. He placed a hand over hers. "It's going to be okay," he said, though he realized that he was talking more to himself then to her. Nonetheless, she smiled.

Over the next hour, the younger students had come upstairs, wanting to know what had happened and who that girl was. Ginny explained as much as she could to them. Harry remained silent. _Why are they keeping me out?_ he thought. _She's my friend. I should be with her._ He remembered the last time Hermione had been in a severe bed ridden state. It was in their second year, and a basilisk had petrified her. Harry remembered seeing her in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, lying stiff and half-dead. He remembered clutching her cold hand in his own and vowing revenge over the person that had done this to her. Those feelings returned.

Harry had been so absorbed in his thoughts, he did not hear the bedroom door open. "Harry," a voice said. He shook his head and saw Sara standing beside him. "Harry, you and Ginny can go in now," she said.

He nodded.

Ginny was already in the room, sitting beside a bed at the far end. She was holding Hermione's right hand in both of hers, and Harry could see tears in her eyes. He walked over to her left side and sat on a stool that had been placed there. Kevin, who had been standing in a corner till now, patted Ginny's shoulder and left with Sara. Harry reached out and touched Hermione's arm. It was as cold as he remembered that time in their second year. He traced his hand down her arm and took hold of her left hand, willing his own body heat to her.

Hermione made no movement, except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Ginny started crying again and laid her head on the bed beside Hermione. Harry got to his feet and walked over to her. He laid an arm over her shoulder and she leaned into his chest. "Harry," she said through sobs. "Who would do this to her?"

"Antonin Dolohov."

Sara took a cup of coffee from her husband. She had sent all the younger kids to their rooms for the time being, while she and Kevin discussed what had happened. "Dolohov? But how did he find her?"

Kevin sat in a chair. "The Grangers didn't use a portkey. They flew here." He balled his hands into fists and set his forehead on them. "Dolohov followed them from the airport. It's lucky that Mr. Granger was able to lose him, or else Voldemort would know where to find us."

Sara took a sip from her cup. "What did he do to her?"

Kevin lifted his head. "Not what he did, it's what he's done. A few weeks ago, she was involved in the Department of Mysteries incident. There, Dolohov used some kind of curse on her. I've never seen anything like it before." He looked down at the floor. "What happened to Hermione's parents?"

"I told them they had to leave," Sara replied. "When they said they had been attacked, I knew they couldn't stay long."

Kevin ran his hands over his face. "Good call." He looked up at his wife. "Sara, did we do the right thing when we agreed to run this safe house? I mean, we already have a casualty on our hands. Our whole operation could have been destroyed and we don't even have everybody here. What happens when…"

Sara set her sup on a table and knelt down in front of Kevin. "Stop it. Don't do this, honey. We had this discussion before we agreed to this." She took his hands in hers. "And you know why we did this."

Kevin stared into her eyes. "We owe it to James and Lily."

"And to Harry." She leaned in and kissed him. "We both know what this involves."

"Yeah," Kevin replied. He returned her kiss with a passion of his own. As he pulled back, he smiled. "Now I remember why I fell in love with you." They stood up together. "Why don't you go check on the kids. I have to write a letter to Dumbledore."

He kissed her once more before they broke away.


	8. Salt In The Wound

The first week of July passed quicker than Harry had ever seen it. The last of the students arrived and had been settled in. To his surprise, there was another sixth year among the group; one of his fellow Gryffindors, Seamus Finnigan. Harry remembered at the beginning of last year they had a bit of a row about Voldemort's return and the question of Harry's sanity. Since the reports confirming what Harry had been saying all along had come out, though, the two had been a bit more friendly towards each other.

Today Harry, Seamus and Ginny were sitting around a table in the living room, each working on an essay for their first term of school. Harry thought it should be illegal for there to be homework over the holidays. Seamus and Ginny agreed. Nonetheless, the three of them worked as hard as they could. Ginny had just scribbled over a word she had just written and let out an angry sigh. "Whoever this new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is, they are not making it easy on fifth years."

Harry and Seamus looked over at her and said, in unison, "Get used to it." They both laughed and Seamus continued. "This year is going to be absolute murder for you. By March, most of our year was ready for a stay in St. Mungo's mental ward."

"That's right," Harry said. "Even Hermione was starting to lose it." At the mention of her name, the table grew silent.

"Harry," Ginny finally said. "Have you asked Kevin or Sara about…" Her voice trailed off.

Harry shook his head. He had not talked to either of them about what had happened to Hermione since the day she had arrived. He didn't want to know because he was afraid he might do something foolish if he knew who had hurt her. It had been hard enough explaining what they knew to Seamus when he arrived four days ago, but they had all agreed that they would wait and see if she improved before they broached the subject.

The three Gryffindors went back to their essays as Kevin walked in from the back patio, followed by Chris. He smiled at them as he passed into the entrance hall. With his hands cupped over his mouth like a megaphone, he called out, "All First and Second Year Students Outside Now!."

In a span of a moment, fourteen young students came trotting down the stairs and through the living room. Kevin followed the last one towards the door, but was stopped by Sara calling to him. "Kevin." He turned to his wife, who had run to catch him. "She's woken up. Do you think it's all right if I bring her downstairs?"

Kevin nodded. "It should be okay. Healer Varan said five days of bed rest is best for her and it's been a week. Have Ginny help you bring her down, though." Kevin left through the back door. Sara motioned for Ginny to follow her upstairs.

As the girls left, Seamus leaned over to Harry. "Who is Healer Varan?"

"He's from St. Mungo's," Harry explained. "Came to check on Hermione when she got here."

Realizing they would get no more work done today, Harry and Seamus put their parchment and quills away. Soon, Sara and Ginny came back into the room, each one supporting an arm of Hermione's. Harry and Seamus got to their feet, wondering if they could help in any way. With her free hand, Sara waved them off. Hermione was lowered, gently, into a recliner. Harry could see that she looked much older then fifteen. Her hair was in disorder and her pajamas were wrinkled from constant use.

"I'll be outside with Kevin if you need anything," Sara said, and she left room.

Harry and Seamus sat back down in the couch, but Ginny knelt in front of the chair. "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled weakly. "I'm better, but I still hurt." She shifted slightly, then winced in pain.

Ginny reached out, but Hermione waved her away. Harry could feel his face get warm with anger. "Can you tell us what happened?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure," she answered. "My parents and I had just left the airport when we were stopped by an accident on the road. My father got out of the car to see if he could help, but then, the whole scene vanished. I remembered seeing a black robed wizard standing there. He shot out some kind of purple light and the next thing I know, I'm waking up here." She closed her eyes, briefly. "I don't remember what the Death Eater looked, and I don't have a clue what kind of curse he used, but it hurt…a lot."

Harry's face kept getting hotter and hotter with every word she spoke. If he ever found the Death Eater who did this, he would…but he stopped that train of thought when he saw Ginny looking over at him. Her eyes seemed to be reading his thoughts and pleading for him to calm down. Some of the anger slipped away.

"What I don't understand," Hermione continued, unaware of the private exchange between Harry and Ginny, "is why they chose to attack me. What makes me so special that they would go to all this trouble?"

"Maybe it's cause you're Muggle-born," Seamus said. "Those who follow You-Know-Who get a kick out of torturing Muggles and Muggle-born wizards and witches."

Hermione gently shook her head. "Be that as it may, this was a carefully planned out attack, not a random strike." She shifted again. "Ginny, can you help me back upstairs? This chair is really uncomfortable."

_She has to be in pain to think those chairs are uncomfortable,_ Harry thought. Ginny supported Hermione as they walked back up the stairs. Harry watched them as they left and the anger that had subsided earlier returned in force.

Harry suddenly had an urge to take his wand and find the Death Eater responsible for Hermione's injuries. He wanted to make him suffer as much as he had made her suffer. It didn't matter to Harry if he had to fight ten Death Eaters or ten thousand, he just wanted to leave and…

It stuck Harry like a clap of thunder. He suddenly understood why Hermione had been targeted and not someone else. They knew that, eventually, Harry would hear of this.

She had been attacked as a message to him.


	9. A Moment To Heal

Harry couldn't sleep that night. The revelation he had had earlier kept haunting him and his thoughts. Hermione had been used as a message. She had been attacked because of him, because she was his friend. She was innocent of all of this.

Harry threw off his covers and sat up. He picked up his glasses from the night table, stood up and left the room. Walking through the hallway, Harry continued to replay his thoughts over and over in his mind. This was not the first time that someone close to Harry had been a victim just to get at him. It infuriated him that people he cared for kept being hurt. Was no one safe around him?

He didn't know how long he walked up and down the hall, but he soon found himself outside the door to Hermione and Ginny's room. It was well past two in the morning, so he knew the girls would be asleep. Being the only upper year girls, they had gotten a room to themselves. . Harry knew he shouldn't, but he reached out his hand and took hold of the doorknob. As quietly as he could, Harry slid the door open and peaked in.

Hermione was lying on her back, as she often did. She said that was the most comfortable position she had found since being brought here. However, even this was painful for her. The spell that had been used on her had apparently not dissipated or had left a lasting effect. Kevin and Sara had not been able to help her anymore then they already had. Ginny, however, was lying on her side, facing the door. Her eyes were closed and her face was illuminated by the moonlight streaking in from the window. Harry found himself staring at her a bit longer then he should have.

"You could get into a lot of trouble for that."

Harry quickly turned around. Sara was standing behind him with a smile on her face. "Although, I don't know, she may take it as a compliment." She reached around him and closed the door.

Harry's face went red at being caught. "I was just…" His mind was suddenly blank. What was he doing? Why had he left his bed? "I was just checking on them."

"I see," Sara replied. She placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You care for your friends quite a bit, don't you? And you would do anything to protect them. These are admirable qualities in a boy so young but understand this Harry; there are other people who look after them. You don't have to put so much weight on your own shoulders."

Harry thought this was an out of the blue statement. All he had been doing was looking in on Hermione and Ginny. He looked up into Sara's eyes and felt a warmth envelope him. They seemed to be looking inside him, sensing his thoughts and feelings from the last four years. What did she know about everything that he had experiences? Had she, somehow, sensed the guilt he had been feeling all day towards Hermione's injuries?

Sara suddenly became as much a mystery to Harry as Kevin was. These two strangers appear one day and begin treating him with a care that he has never known. Even when he stayed with the Weasley family, and he had been treated like a son, he had never felt like this. Kevin and Sara didn't shut him out or treat him like a helpless child. What Sara had said, about not putting so much pressure on himself, it seemed to him that she was telling him that he only had to look after himself. It seemed like an offer of help, something no one but Ron and Hermione had ever offered him.

This was something else, though. Sara was trying to pick an individual problem that Harry was having and tell him to let it go. Harry knew what she was talking about and it gnawed at his insides to think about it. He had carried this burden for almost a month, without talking about it to anyone. "Sara, I…"

He never got to finish, for she had brought her other hand to Harry's face and he suddenly became very tired. "Thank you, Harry," she said, softly. "I know you want to end this tonight, but tomorrow will be better, after you've had some rest." She led him back to his bedroom and, before leaving him, wrapped her arms around his neck. As she held him, Harry felt calm and protected. It was another feeling he had never truly known…except once, long ago. He couldn't really remember it, but he knew it was there. And he smelled something on her crimson robe. It was familiar, almost like a distant dream.

A dream from the first year of his life.

The following day proved to be a day of surprises. In the late hours of the morning, a host of owls arrived at the house, bringing letters and packages to the students. This was the first time that this many owls had graced the manor this summer. While most of the letters had encouraging words from loved ones, a few students received something ominous.

Hermione, Harry, and Seamus were gathered in Hermione's room. Each had received a letter from the Ministry of Magic that morning, but none of them were in any hurry to open them. The three of them kept looking into each other's eyes, wondering who would be first. "Well, we've got to do it sooner or later," Hermione said. She had woken this morning with an unusual amount of energy.

Seamus shook his head, "Not me. I already know what it says." He turned the envelope over in his hands. "Why don't you open yours, Hermione? They can't have written anything bad about you."

"All right," she replied, her voice frustrated. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter. As she read down the parchment, her face fell slightly. "Oh, no. I got an E in Ancient Runes."

Harry rolled his eyes and laughed a bit. "So I guess that drops you to above average now, doesn't it?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Ha ha. Make jokes if you want. Let's see how many O.W.L.s you got."

Harry knew that there was no getting around this. The results for the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations that all fifth years had to take at the end of last year had arrived, and Harry had dreaded opening his. Closing his eyes, he ripped open the envelope and pulled out the parchment. He slowly opened his right eye, then opened his left and sighed in relief. He had done exceedingly well in Defense against the Dark Arts, as he knew he would. His scores were also good with Charms and Transfiguration, and average with potions; Harry was thankful that he has learned at least something from that horrible class. All his other scores were on the average to above average scale, except for Divination, which Harry had never been able to do well in. It didn't matter much to him except that it reminded him that Kevin had not said anything about Professor Trelawney in the past weeks.

"See," Hermione said, interrupting his thoughts. "It wasn't that bad. Seamus, open yours."

Seamus took the same approach to his letter that Harry had and breathed the same sigh of relief, which caused Hermione to roll her eyes and mutter, "Honestly." Seamus had done quite well in his exams, earning high marks in Transfiguration and Astronomy. "Well, at least this will keep my mum from strangling me…for now anyway." The tension gone, all three shared a laugh of relief.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

Harry turned towards the window where the sound had come from. Kevin was in the backyard with the first and second year students again today. Harry had found out that Kevin was teaching them some basic spells on the advice of Professor Dumbledore and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, though he would not say who this new teacher was.

Thinking of Kevin reminded Harry that he had something else to take care of. He got to his feet. "See you guys later. I've got to go talk to someone." Hermione and Seamus waved as he left the room. He walked down the hall towards a door that he had never entered. It was the door to Kevin and Sara's bedroom, and it stood slightly ajar. Harry reached out to knock, but stopped when he heard a voice. "But I don't want to scare him." It was Ginny's voice.

"You won't," Sara's voice replied. "If you set him down and talk it over slowly, the two of you should be able to work things out."

Harry's breathe caught in his throat. He shouldn't be eavesdropping on this, but he found it hard to pull himself away. _Who was she talking about?_ he wondered. Knowing he shouldn't listen but he couldn't leave, he knocked on the door.

The girls' voices silenced for a moment, then Sara spoke. "Come in." Harry slowly opened the door. Sara was standing behind a seated Ginny at a vanity mirror. She was braiding the younger girl's hair as they spoke. When Harry looked at the two of them, he thought they could be sisters. Sara smiled at him. "Harry, it's nice to see you." She finished the last braid on Ginny's hair. "All done, Ginny. Let Harry and me have a little privacy, would you?"

Ginny stood up. Harry thought she looked a bit redder in the face than usual. She hurried out of the room without looking at Harry. Sara motioned for him to sit on the bed next to her. "So Harry, what can I do for you?"

He took a seat. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about…last night." His ears turned pink. "When you caught me…"

Sara nodded. "Ah, I thought that might be it. Where do you want to start?"

That was the question that Harry had been dealing with for a while. Everything that had been going through his mind since yesterday seemed to ruin together. Best to start at the beginning. "What did you mean when you said other people could look after my friends?"

"Well," she replied. "What I was talking about was your tendency to go at things alone." Harry looked at her quizzically. "You have to admit, Harry, when it comes to your friends, you aren't thinking with you head."

Harry shook his head. "I don't understand."

"I mean, Sirius," Sara said. Harry was silent. "Since you've been here, you haven't shown any emotion towards what happened and you haven't talked about it to anyone, not even your friends. When I saw you last night, I could tell you were still harboring some of those feelings."

"I like to keep my friends safe." There was an edge to Harry's reply. "I don't see anything wrong with that." He inched away from her.

Sara laid an arm over his shoulder to stop him. "No, there isn't anything wrong with that, that's not what I mean. I'm trying to say that your approach needs to be looked at. When you thought that Sirius was in danger, you didn't look at all your options, or you might have realized Professor Snape could have helped you." She shook her head. "But I'm not here to lay blame, Harry. You did what your heart told you was best, and we can't live in the past. Think about this, though. Now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters are after you, they are going to do whatever they can to draw you out. Your friends are going to become targets, but you can't let yourself be manipulated and you can't try to protect them by yourself."

Harry looked down at his feet. "That's why Hermione was attacked. It was the same with…" He couldn't bring himself to say his godfather's name. Tears began to fill his eyes.

Sara tightened her arm around his shoulder. "I know how hard this must be for you. Sirius was a wonderful man with a good heart."

Harry lifted his head a bit. "You knew him?"

She took her arm off of him, stood up and walked to a nightstand beside the bed. Pulling open a drawer, she reached inside to retrieve a photograph. Sara looked at it for a moment, and Harry could see her shoulders shake. She was crying, too. Harry stood and walked over to her side. The picture she was holding showed a wedding scene. A bride and groom stood close together, with a collection of friends around them. Harry knew this scene. He had a photo of it himself.

"This is my parent's wedding."

Sara jumped, not realizing he was there. "Yes, it is." She handed the photo to him. "I understand you have a similar picture of your own. But there's something different about this one. Do you see?"

Harry looked closely. The only real difference he could see was that the people in this photo were still, while his photo had moving people. His eyes glided over the picture until he discovered two extra people in the group. They were kids, around seven or eight. The boy had dark brown hair with green eyes and the girl had sandy red hair with blue eyes. Harry thought they looked familiar. He looked closer and it came to him. "This is you and Kevin."

Sara stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah, Kevin and I have been have been together for a long time. Our families and yours were very close in the Order. When we lost our parents, James and Lily were kind enough to take us in. So, in a way, you're kind of like our little brother, Harry. Kevin and I were there when you were born. I remember your mother letting me hold you as you fell asleep." She tightened her grip. "It was as close to a family as I could have hoped."

Everything seemed to make sense to Harry now. This is why a perfect stranger had been sent to rescue Harry, why he was so open about the dangers that Harry was facing. It also dawned on him why last night had seemed familiar and safe. Harry had found something that he thought he had lost a month ago. "I'm not alone."

"No you're not. If you ever need any help, you can come to Kevin or me. We'll always be here for you."


	10. Renewed

In the weeks after Harry's talk with Sara, he felt as though he had regained a part of himself lost after Sirius' death. Harry began to see life with a new outlook and attitude that told him and others around him that he had changed for the better. He still knew that the Death Eaters were after him and would use all the tricks they could think of to get at him, but it didn't matter anymore. He had people who would look after him and his friends.

Harry put the energy he had spent worrying to better use. He helped Kevin train the lower year students in some defense spells. Kevin had explained that students at the manor could use magic without reprieve by the Ministry of Magic. They showed great potential. Hermione's recovery was going quite well, also. Sara followed instructions left by Healer Varan daily, and Hermione was soon on her feet.

The days became so enjoyable that Harry had not even realized his birthday had arrived. Kevin and Sara made a magnificent feast for the household and Harry received presents from all his friends. Ron, Fred and George had sent assortments of sweets and chocolates and even some experimental joke items that Kevin had to examine before he let Harry keep them. Molly Weasley sent a cake for him, while Arthur gave him a book called _Defensive Spells for the Aspiring Auror._ Harry spent a lot of time with this read.

Soon after, another round of owls graced the manor, bringing another wave of letters for the students. This time, though, they did not bring words from their families or results of an exam. Instead, the letters contained lists of school supplies and books needed for the coming year. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Seamus were browsing their lists together when Harry noticed something odd about his. "This says I need a book called _Muggles Through the Ages,_" Harry said. "But that can't be right. I don't take Muggle Studies."

"It says the same thing on mine, mate," Seamus responded. "I've never taken that either."

Hermione, who had taken the course for the past three years, spoke up, "Well, the two of you ought to give it a try. It's really quite fascinating."

"Three," Ginny said. "I have the same book, and I'm not even in your year."

Harry knew that something was up now. There were no texts listed for any Divination courses, though he suspected that was because Professor Trelawney would not be teaching this year. In private, Kevin had told him that she had been rescued, but would not be in any state to return to Hogwarts anytime soon. However, the class would be taken over by the teacher that had filled the position at the end of last year, Firenze the Centaur. Still, Harry thought that he would have to stick out that class for the rest of his time at school. This new class caused him to wonder what was going on. 

They kept going over the list until something caught Ginny's eye. "We're supposed to bring dress robes? What for?"

The others searched their own letters until they found what she had been talking about. The last time dress robes had been required at Hogwarts was during the Triwizard Tournament. Did this mean that another tournament was being held? Harry deeply hoped not.

When they had gone over the lists, the four students went into the dining room where Kevin and Sara were enjoying a light brunch. Kevin was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of him and smiling. "They finally did it. Those spineless worms finally did it!"

Harry took a seat beside him. "Did what?"

Kevin set the paper down. "Kicked Cornelius Fudge out of office. The heads of each department finally decided that Fudge wasn't getting the job done and held a vote to remove him as Minister of Magic. I didn't think they had it in them."

"So, does that mean that another minister will be appointed?" Hermione asked.

Kevin shook his head. "No. The Ministry is implementing a council system to handle all Ministry decisions. It was Dumbledore's suggestion. Each department head will sit on the Ministry Council to make all decisions based on the war effort. This way, no single hot-headed windbag can hold all the power."

"Do you think that will really make a difference?"

"It's better than Fudge holding control over people who are trying to make a real difference in this war," Sara answered. "Hopefully with the new council the Ministry will be able to make some headway against Voldemort." Seamus shuddered at the name. He still had not gotten use to hearing it.

"Will my dad be on this council?" Ginny asked.

Kevin nodded. "Yep. Every head of every department, no matter how small, is included. It's essential that no areas be left out: especially the departments that deal with Muggles and Muggle protection. Remember that Voldemort's Death Eaters love to torture them for their own amusement. Thankfully there have been no reports of Muggle killings that could be attributed to wizards."

Hermione took out her wand and waved it towards the kitchen. Four cups of tea floated out and landed in front of the students. "Why do you think everything's been so quiet lately?"

"Who said things had been quiet?" Sara asked. "The Death Eaters are making life miserable for wizards around the globe. They're just restricting their displeasure for our kind and being nice enough to leave the Muggles alone. I've wondered how much longer it will be before they make their way to North America." Kevin leaned over and wrapped an arm around his wife. The kids sipped their tea in silence.

A loud cry of laughter erupted from the backyard, followed by a series of barks from the dogs. Sara smiled. "Looks like the younger kids are having fun with the animals."

Kevin snapped his fingers. "That reminds me. There's another birthday coming up, isn't there?"

Ginny turned red. "You remembered that?"

"Of course we did," Sara said. "If we took the time and effort to remember Harry's, there's no way we would forget yours." She looked over at him with a cocky grin. Harry returned the smirk. "Anything special we can get you?"

Ginny's cheeks turned a deeper red. "You don't really have to. I mean you two have already done so much."

Hermione reached over and grabbed her shoulder. "Ginny, don't turn down a chance to get a nice present." She looked around the table. "I bet I know what you could use." She stood from her seat and motioned for Sara to follow her.

As the two of them bounded up the stairs, Harry's eyes followed them. _What are they up to?_ He turned towards Ginny. Her face looked like a brick.

August 11th did nothing to lift Ginny's embarrassment. Her birthday was as much a festival as Harry's had been. Her family had sent an assortment of gifts, from new clothes from her parents to joke items sent by Fred and George. Sara mad a lavish cake for the occasion. Harry was eager to see what present Hermione had come up with. 

Indeed it was a sight to behold. When Ginny had unwrapped her gift, she pulled out a set of navy blue dress robes. They were made of fine silk and appeared quite tight in the middle. Sara pulled out her wand. "Here's the really intriguing part." She ran the wand over the front of the robe. It changed from navy blue to forest green. "You can make it any color you want. The merchant said you could also change the cut, but wanted an extra five galleons for that spell." Ginny looked up in shock. She didn't want Sara to spend a lot of money on her. "Don't worry," Sara said, sensing her shock. "Half the money I gave him was Leprechaun gold. Teach him to cheat somebody."

Ginny's shoulders relaxed a bit. She was sad to be away from her family for her birthday, but glad that she was around friends that cared for her. The rest of the day, the house was filled with laughter and joyous people.

This was, however, not to last.


	11. War Close To Home

A great thunder rocked the house violently.

Harry was shook awake by a pair of hands. "Wake up, Harry! Wake up!" Kevin stared down into his face, with a look of panic and fear. "Get up, quick. You have to get packed and help the younger students downstairs."

Harry got his glasses on as the house shook again. Now fully awake, he got to his feet and found Seamus already dressed and dragging his trunk. Harry got dressed and started putting his things in his trunk. Remembering that magic could be used, he waved his wand. His clothes and belongings flew into the trunk, which closed and locked. With another wave, it levitated off the ground and followed Harry down the stairs.

Seamus had remembered that he could use magic as well and levitated his trunk. Sara was on the ground floor directing a few students into the living room. The luggage was being piled into a corner, while the students were huddled on the couches. They were shaking with fright. The house was rocked by another force and the students shrieked in fright. Harry went over to Sara. "What's going on?"

Sara helped a first-year girl with her trunk. "We're under attack…by Death Eaters."

Harry was shocked. He ran over to the nearest window and looked out. There was a large collection of black robed wizards standing out in the lawn. They seemed to be in a trance. Harry left the window, grabbed Seamus by the arm and ran back upstairs. He pointed towards a room. Seamus went inside while Harry went further down the hall. Hermione passed him followed by three girls with trunks floating behind them. Harry helped as many students as he could pack their things and got them into the living room. He thought that all the students had been woken up when he noticed someone was missing. "Where's Ginny?"

Hermione and Seamus looked around, but couldn't find her. Harry started to run back up the stairs. He stopped, though, when Kevin raced down them with Ginny thrown over his shoulder. Harry looked concerned. "Is she all right?"

Kevin dumped her body into a recliner, which caused her to stir. "She fell back asleep," Kevin said. "Amazingly calm, this girl is." He went over to the fireplace, took his wand out and said, "_Incendio!_" A ball of flame shot from his wand and ignited the wood in the fireplace. "Now we have to stick it out for a while." The house shook again, this time more violently then before. Kevin walked over to the window. "A few more hits like that and the shield charm will fail. We have to buy ourselves some time."

"Time for what?" Harry asked.

"For the ministry to set up a floo connection to our house," Kevin responded. "We are cut off from the floo network to prevent anyone from trying to get in without our knowing." He turned away from the window. "That won't stop those guys from trying, though."

"Why can't we use the portkeys?"

Kevin ran a hand through his hair. "The portkeys were destroyed. I was going to make new ones when it came time for you all to go back to school, so there was no need to keep them around. The only way out of this place is through the fire or through the Death Eaters. I like the first option better."

Sara went over to stand by her husband. "I do, too. The problem is that it will take at least a half-hour to set up the connection. We sent Avis with a letter about ten minutes ago. He should get there soon; he's the best owl we've ever had. In the meantime we are sitting ducks."

Kevin broke away from her and walked over to the door. "Never. I'll never be a sitting duck." He put his fingers to his lips and blew a whistle. The four dogs converged around him. Kevin knelt in front of them. "You know what to do." They each barked, as if they were acknowledging him and dispersed around the entryway.

The house was rocked by another shockwave and knocked Kevin to the ground. Sara grabbed the windowsill to steady herself. "That was the worst one yet." She ran over to Kevin and helped him to his feet. "I think the charm is just about broken. We have to do something."

Kevin led her back to the window and pointed his wand at it. "You too," he said. She followed his lead and pointed her wand at the window as well.

Harry and Hermione stood up and walked over to them. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Kevin didn't look at him. "Buying us some time."

Harry looked out the window to see what spell they may be casting. He couldn't see anything except the Death Eaters still congregated together. His eyes roamed over the streets and then fell upon the garage. The two sports cars were rolling out of it, seemingly under their own power. They rolled behind the Death Eaters, who did not realize they were there. Together, Kevin and Sara waved their wands. "_Incendio!_"

A great explosion pierced the night with fiery light and smoke. The Death Eaters were knocked to the ground, and a few of them did not get back up. The majority of them, however, made it back to their feet. Harry saw, though, that they were slow about it and some were holding arms and legs, no doubt injured in the blast. "Damn," Kevin said. "They must have had a shield charm as well. It did something at least."

"Won't that explosion alert the Muggles?" Hermione asked.

As if in answer, the night became darker then it had been before the explosion. The fire outside was extinguished as a cold chill swept through the air. "No it won't," Kevin said. "They have Dementors with them. This way they can work in darkness, as they're use to."

When he said Dementors, the younger students began to murmur in panic and a few of them began to cry. Ginny, who was now fully awake, sat between two girls and huddled them close to her. Sara and Hermione did what they could as well. Seamus was talking to a group of boys, giving words of comfort. "What are you all scared for? We've got Harry Potter here to protect us, haven't we?" He looked up at Harry, pleading for him to say something.

Harry wished that his friend hadn't put him on the spot, but he admired his courage. Seamus had to know that Harry would get him back for this at the first moment he could. Still, he didn't want to let him down. "Yeah, I will." Looking over at Sara, he added, "With a little help from everyone." He turned to Kevin. "What else can we do to hold them off?"

Kevin thought for a minute. "You can do the Patronus Charm, can't you?" Harry nodded. "All right, we may be able to do something." There were suddenly a series of small noises outside. Kevin turned back towards the window. "Looks like they decided against the collective hit and have opted to use individual spells. Not as effective, but will still work. Maybe a few minutes before the charms fail." He walked over to the fireplace. Taking a cup that had been sitting on the mantle, he pulled out some powder and threw it into the fire. It glowed blue for a moment then went back to orange. "Almost there, but not yet. We need about ten more minutes for the connection, then about five to ten more to get everyone through."

He walked into the entryway, waving for Harry to follow him. Once the two of them were out of earshot of everyone else, he whispered to the young wizard, "Listen, this is how we're going to do this. I'm going to drop the shield charm and the Death Eaters are going to come pouring through that door, along with the Dementors. We use our Patronus spells to ward them off while the dogs go after the wizards. They're tough and they can get the job done. If nothing else, we'll wound a few of them and take them out of action."

Harry looked up at Kevin. "You can do a Patronus too?"

Kevin smiled. "I can do lots of things." He looked over into the living room. "Hermione! Seamus! Come over here!" The young wizards complied. "When I tell you, I want the two of you to open the front doors and then run for cover. Understand?" They nodded in compliance, though their facial expressions told Kevin that they would rather do anything but that.

They took their posts near the door, waiting for Kevin to give the word. He looked towards his wife and she gave him an encouraging smile. Turning back to the door, he yelled out, " NOW!"

In a matter of seconds, the doors were thrust open and a wave of darkness wafted in. As one, Harry and Kevin waved their wands. "_Expecto Patronum!_" A silver stag erupted from the tip of Harry's wand and charged at the Dementors. He looked over at Kevin to see what form his Patronus was. He saw a silver raven soar into the sky alongside a lion of the same shade. 

Harry shook his head. He had to be seeing things. There were only supposed to be two Patronus creatures out there, but there were three. A six-foot long dragon soon joined the other creatures. There were four Patronus forms? Finally, a snake slithered from the wand. Harry could not believe what he had just seen. Kevin had conjured four separate Patronus forms. He didn't know much about the spell itself, but he had never heard of this. The silver creatures ran straight at the Dementors and Death Eaters. They washed over the attacking wizards, the silver vapor illuminating the darkness for a moment. In an instant, the Dementors were thrust backwards and disappeared into the night.

The four dogs leapt from their watchful perches and attacked the stunned dark wizards. Their teeth sunk into arms and legs and were answered by screams of pain and surprise. Harry noticed that the Death Eaters looked confused and dazed. The Patronus charm had unsteadied them, allowing the animals to get in a quick attack. As quickly as the attack had started, it was over just as quickly. The animals ran back into the house and the doors were shut.

"_Colloportus!_"

Kevin sealed the door again. He wiped his brow, "That will buy us some time." As he walked back towards the living room, he noticed that Harry, Hermione, and Seamus were staring at him. "How did you…" Hermione started to say, but couldn't finish her sentence. 

"Later," Kevin cut her off. He ran towards the fire and took hold of the cup. Taking a pinch of floo powder he muttered, "Here's hoping." He thrust it into the flames. They simmered and crackled before turning the flames an emerald green. "Looks like someone's on their toes tonight." He waved his wand towards the student's trunks and they disappeared. "Everyone line up and listen up. How many of you have never traveled by floo powder?" A few students raised their hands. "All right, there's nothing to worry about, though it is a little overwhelming. You step into the flames and say, very clearly, _Diagon Alley_. You will be traveling at a great speed and will fall out of a fireplace somewhere in the alley. This is a chop-job so we can't be sure where you will land. When you come out of the grate, try to find another student or a Hogwarts teacher. There will be several of them waiting in the alley for you. Whatever happens, do not panic."

The students formed a line in front of the fireplace. Seamus took a spot near the front, but Kevin pulled him out. He did the same to Ginny who was a few spots behind him. "I need you two, as well as Harry and Hermione to stay here until they are all through."

"Why?" Seamus asked.

Something started pounding on the front door. "That's why," he answered. "My charm won't hold them off for long. Charms were never my specialty. We have to keep them at bay for as long as possible." Kevin started motioning for students to step into the fire. The more experienced ones went first. The going was slow, as the fire did not accept the commands of all the students. After ten minutes, only eight students had made it into the floo network. At the same time, the front door was being wrenched open by the Death Eaters.

It finally could take no more and came apart at the hinges. A cadre of dark robed wizards ran into the house, waving their wands and shouting curses. Kevin and Sara were quick to cast a shield charm over the students and countered with a few curses of their own. Death Eaters were flung off their feet as the floors were transfigured to ice and a great wind was conjured in the hallway. For those lucky Death Eaters who stopped before they were tripped up, they were reintroduced to the attack dogs. The animals took a bite at whatever body part was presented first. Because of the sheer number of Death Eaters, it was much easier for Kevin and Sara to strike without threat to their own personal safety. 

However, it soon became obvious that this strategy would not be able to continue. The Death Eaters took up positions behind the marble pillars and in the kitchen. Using caution, they were able to cast a few well-placed spells. The shield charm was sufficient to deflect most of these spells, but they did knock a few students to their knees. Five more were able to get through the flames before it started acting up again.

Kevin started casting disarming spells wildly through the entryway, while Harry and Seamus used various curses on any Death Eater stupid enough to still be in the open. Hermione was standing close to the fire, stoking it whenever it seemed to be going out. There were only three young students left.

Ginny peaked over the couch and quickly used a banishing charm on a wooden cabinet. It soared into the entryway and shattered against a pillar. The Death Eater hidden behind it foolishly leapt from his cover and was an easy target for Harry's stunning spell. Kevin was getting frustrated with this constant cat and mouse game. He shouted to the others, "Harry, Hermione, Seamus, aim low! Sara, Ginny, aim high! _Incendio!_" He ignited the archway leading into the entryway. Sara and Ginny followed suit, while the other three turned their spells towards the floor. The archway was soon a wall of flame. Kevin whistled sharply and the dogs leapt through the flames into the living room.

The flames quickly spread to the rugs in the entryway as well as the carpet in the living room. The last three students made it into the floo network. "All right," Kevin said. "Your turn." He nodded at the remaining young wizards. Seamus quickly leapt into the flames, yelling _Diagon Alley_ as he did so. Hermione followed him, and then Ginny. 

Harry was almost through the fire, when he looked back and saw Kevin and Sara standing closely together with the dogs. "Aren't you two coming?"

Sara nodded. "We'll be along. We just have to take care of a little unfinished business." A barrage of spells shot through the wall of flame in the archway, forcing Harry to enter the floo network.

Kevin wrapped his arm around Sara and pulled her close. "It's a shame we have to lose this nice house."

Sara kissed him on the cheek. "Yeah, but at least we didn't pay for it."

They placed their wands together in an X pattern. The dogs moved in close to their masters, somehow knowing what was about to happen. The two wizards pulled their wands apart quickly, rubbing the surfaces together. They shouted out, "_Eversio!_" A ball of shimmering light formed between the wands and started crackling.

Kevin looked towards the wall of flame. "Nice knowing you!" he called out to whatever ears could hear him. "I'll see you in hell!" He placed his hands on Lita and Chris' head. Sara placed her hands on Shawn and Stacy's head. As one, they disappeared into the night…

…only seconds before the ball of light released an explosion that ripped through the entire house, and all who were still in it.

_Author's note: well, now things are getting interesting. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, and if you have any questions about anything, send me an e-mail or paste it in a review. If I don't plan to address the issue later in the story, I will send a reply. Also, "Eversio" means destuction in Latin. Just as an extra note, genealogy will play a part in my story, hence the title "Legacy." So keep an eye on it._


	12. Old Stomping Grounds

The journey through the floo network was always an experience, but not always a pleasant one. Harry remembered the trips he had taken previously through the network and it had never been like this. He started to get lightheaded as soon as he stepped through the fire in the manor. A vibration rumbled over his body making him feel as though he were being squeezed through the tunnel of fire.

After what seemed like an eternity of mild pain and dizziness, Harry was thrown from the floo network. He hit the ground hard and rolled over himself a few times before coming to a stop. He lay still for a moment while he composed himself. Harry wasn't sure where he had come out, nor did he really care as long as he was out. Just then, two pairs of hands grabbed onto his arms and hoisted him to his feet. "Get off the floor, mate," a voice said. Harry's eyes had not yet adjusted so he couldn't see who was talking. "It's unbecoming a man who isn't drunk," said a second voice. Harry thought these two speakers sounded familiar: familiar, and alike.

Fred and George Weasley helped Harry over to a chair. He shook his head to try and clear it. He knew he where he was now, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. When he had regained himself, Harry looked up at the twins. "Hey guys," he said. "What's up?"

The twins looked at each other in disbelief. "Did he just say 'what's up'?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, he did," George answered. They looked back at Harry. "You just survived an all out assault by Death Eaters, and all you can say it 'what's up'?" He reached out and smacked the side of Harry's head. "I think your brain is fried."

Harry came to his senses. He stood up, "Where is everyone? Are they safe? Where are Ginny and Hermione? Where are Kevin and Sara?"

Fred pushed him back into the chair. "Chill out, Harry. Ginny and Hermione are safe, but we don't know who Kevin and Sara are. They students at Hogwarts?"

Harry shook his head. "No, they're the people we were staying with. They didn't come through the floo network?"

"No," Fred answered. "Not through here anyway. They may have come out at another fireplace." The three of them left the shop and looked up and down the street. Students were coming out of different stores along the alley, each looking confused and stunned. Harry ran a quick head count and noticed that there were a few students missing. He heard thundering footfalls from behind him and he turned to look.

From a dark side alley, which Harry knew to lead to Knockturn Alley, Hagrid came walking out. The Hogwarts gamekeeper was carrying two young students under each arm, with Seamus following close behind. He set them down when he saw Harry. "Found these two wanderin' around down there," he said. "Seamus here was nice enough to come with me to find them." He patted the young wizard on the back, which caused Seamus to stumble forward. "A true Gryffindor through an' through, I say."

Harry was glad that all the students had made it to Diagon Alley safely. He didn't want to think what might have happened if the floo network had botched itself while the students were in transit. Kevin hadn't been joking when he called it a "chop-job." Harry never wanted a trip like that again.

He suddenly remembered that he had left the manor with Kevin and Sara standing in the living room. He looked up and down Diagon Alley, but could not see if they had made it. Running towards Flourish and Blotts, he saw Hermione standing with Ginny and her older brother, Ron. The red-haired boy seemed worried about his younger sister, but his attention turned quickly on Hermione. "I just want to know what happened," Harry heard Ron say. "One minute I'm sound asleep, and the next Fred and George are pulling me out of bed talking about an attack." The youngest Weasley son noticed Harry running towards them. "Harry, where did you come from?"

"America," Harry answered. He turned on Hermione. "Have you seen Kevin or Sara?"

"No," she answered. "You were the last one through the fire. What happened before you left?"

Harry thought for a minute, making sure he had his story straight. "The last thing I saw was them standing with the dogs. They didn't seem afraid or worried. They just stood there." Harry thought again. "Kevin said he had some 'unfinished business,' whatever that means."

Ginny jumped into the conversation. "Maybe we should find one of the teachers. They might know what happened."

The three of them walked off while Ron stood still, puzzled. "Will someone please tell me what is going on?"

Several candles were lit inside a room in the Leaky Cauldron. A tray of tea appeared on a table in the center of four chairs. The fireplace erupted with embers. The room stood like that for a minute before two people appeared out of thin air. Kevin and Sara Hall took a seat around the table. They took each other's hand and waited.

For only a moment, they sat in silence until two more people appeared and joined them. One was a stout old witch with firm facial features and a menacing look. The other was a wizard even older then the witch. He wore half-moon spectacles over a kind face with a long gray beard. Professor Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore took seats around the small table. Kevin poured a cup of tea for his wife and the two older wizards. "Did everyone make it?" he asked as he took a cup for himself.

Dumbledore took a sip from his cup. "They did," he answered, his voice soft and calm. "Everyone is safe, for the moment." His words made Kevin uncomfortable, as if another attack were waiting outside the door. "I am sorry that we could not send help, but four more attacks happened at the same moment. Other safe houses did not have the protection that you were able to give yours. The attacks were much more swift and the Aurors had to help them." Kevin nodded, understanding the old wizard's words.

Professor McGonagall looked straight at Kevin. "How did the Death Eaters discover where you were hiding?"

Kevin set his tea down. "I'm not sure, but it may have happened during the attack on Hermione Granger. Dolohov had to have known who she was and whom she was most likely to run in to. It would have been a simple matter to search the city until they found us."

"I'm just surprised it took them as long as it did," Sara said. "I would have thought that Voldemort would have had his followers searching day and night until he found us."

"We do not know if he knew Potter was there when they attacked," McGonagall replied. "It is possible that this was simply a random strike, as the others were."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said. "Of course it is possible that they were there for another purpose." His eyes pierced Kevin.

"There's no guarantee he knew I was there either," he answered. "But if you want to call our deal off, I'll understand." He stood up.

Sara got to her feet, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Kevin, don't jump to conclusions. Professor Dumbledore didn't say anything like that." She guided him back to his seat.

"Sara is right," Dumbledore said. "Indeed, had I said anything that would make you feel I wanted you to reject my offer, I would put myself in for some time at St. Mungo's. While we don't know the specifics of the attacks, we can assume that there may have been many reasons behind them. Nonetheless, I feel that we should make no rash decisions at this time." He pulled out his wand and waved it over the table. The teapot and cups vanished. "For now, let us be thankful that we are all safe and healthy. By the way, where are those delightful pups of yours? I am looking forward to meeting them."

Kevin and Sara chuckled. "They're resting for now." They extended their hands towards the other wizards, who shook them cheerfully. "It was good to see you two again. We'll meet you in a couple of weeks."

They started to walk towards the door. Dumbledore cleared his voice. "If I may make one suggestion…" They turned back towards him. "In the future, please do not destroy property which was given to you so graciously by the Ministry of Magic."


	13. Forgive And Forget

The last few weeks before school started, Diagon Alley was filled with students and their parents going from shop to shop buying school supplies. The students who had escaped the Death Eater attacks had been put up in various rooms throughout the alley. Harry and his friends had been given rooms in the Leaky Cauldron. Each day, they went out among the shops, talking about recent events and trying to forget them at the same time.

One evening, about a week before they were to leave for Hogwarts, they were together in the bar at a table in a corner. Tom the bartender brought drinks for Harry, Ron and Ginny, Hermione, Seamus, and the Weasley twins who had done their best to keep an eye on them as much as they could. Ron and Ginny had constantly reminded them that they had a business to run and couldn't spend all their time tailing them, but Fred and George said they had done well enough over the summer to be able to hire some extra help. They didn't do much to spoil the others fun, but Ron and Ginny still didn't like the idea of their older brothers hanging around. 

On this evening though, their was a little bit of a celebration as Harry and Ginny had both received letters from Hogwarts detailing something that had been left out of the previous one. Harry opened his and read it out loud:

_Dear Mr. Potter,  
Due to recent events, we regret that we omitted a special announcement pertaining to your next term at Hogwarts. First, the Ministry of Magic has lifted the ban on your Quidditch playing ability and we would be proud to reinstate you to the position of seeker next year. Also, with the withdrawal of Miss Katie Bell from the team, you have been named Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Please send a reply by owl if you wish to reject the position for any reason._

Professor Minerva McGonagall  
Head of Gryffindor House

Harry was beside himself with this letter. He was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It was a dream come true for him. It concerned him a bit that Katie had withdrawn from the team, and he wondered if something had happened to her or someone close to her. He would have to get in touch with her soon. Ron and the twins were ecstatic and cheered for him. The sound carried throughout the bar. When they had calmed down, Ginny opened her letter:

_Dear Miss Weasley,  
Due to recent events, we regret that we omitted a special announcement pertaining to your next term at Hogwarts. As a fifth year student, you have been named a prefect for Gryffindor house. Enclosed is a list of duties that you will be expected to perform as well as the special privileges that will be awarded to you now that you are a prefect. When you arrive on the Hogwarts Express, you will receive further instructions and details._

Professor Minerva McGonagall  
Head of Gryffindor House

There was another round of cheers for Ginny, especially from Hermione who was also a prefect. The young Weasley girl slumped in her chair and turned red from embarrassment. Harry reached over and patted her on the shoulder. He was proud of her. After all that had happened over the past months, it felt good that something well was going for both of them. The sound of the student's voices attracted a few more familiar faces from school. Neville Longbottom joined them, soon followed by Dean Thomas who was a close friend of Seamus'.

Harry found himself watching the boy from West Ham closely, but was unsure why. Dean took a seat next to Seamus, which happened to put him beside Ginny. Harry remembered that he and Ginny had started dating at the end of last year, but why should that have bothered him? He pushed it from his mind. 

Harry kept thinking over and over again about the feelings he had had when he saw Ginny and Dean together. It confused him to the point where he wished there was someone he could talk to about this. Ron was out of the question, because he would say that Dean was working for Voldemort. He never liked the idea of Ginny and Dean dating, which he made clear on the train ride home last year. Hermione would most likely over-analyze the situation and make Harry more confused then he was before. Harry wished that Kevin or Sara were around.

On the first day of September, Harry and the others woke up, packed their things and were escorted by Ministry Wizards and Aurors to King's Cross Station where the Hogwarts Express waited to transport them. Harry piled his things in a compartment, which also held Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Soon after the train started, the others left for the prefect's car. They said goodbye to Harry and left him alone. 

He soon found himself bored and rummaged in his bag for the book Mr. Weasley had given him for his birthday. As he flipped through the pages, Harry found many things in this book to interest him. He skipped to the section on Patronus charms and began reading. The chapter started off rather slow, telling Harry nothing about the spell that he didn't already know. It outlined the basics of the spell, the incantation and the general feelings required for it. He scanned the chapter for any in-depth information, but couldn't find anything.

Then he saw something.

A passage caught his eye that told him something he never knew about the Patronus, something he never dreamed could be done with it. He had been looking for a way to conjure multiple Patronus forms, but this passage talked about using it as a shield against spells. Harry had only known one spell to deflect curses, but it was weak and not effective against stronger spells. He then thought back to the night of the attack, and how Kevin had cast a shield charm over the whole house. Was it possible that he had used a variation of the Patronus to do this? Was it possible that the Patronus was more than a defense against Dementors? Harry wished more than ever that he knew if Kevin was all right so he could talk with him.

He was so deep in thought, that Harry did not notice the cabin door slide open. A soft voice called out to him. "Harry?"

The voice shook him out of his thoughts and he looked up. He met a pair of hazel brown eyes framed by two strands of jet-black hair. Harry knew who this was, and it unnerved him a little. Cho Chang was standing in the compartment door. She looked timid and unsure of herself. Harry stood up. "Hi," he said. They both stood still, not knowing who should make the next move. It was Harry who did. "What are you doing here?"

It was not the question she had hoped he would ask, but it was something. "I…just wanted to see you. May I sit down?"

Harry motioned for the seat opposite him as they both sat. "How have you been?"

She looked right below his eyes. "All right, I suppose. It's been an interesting summer for me. And you too from what I hear."

"Yeah, it's been a real ball," he answered, sarcastically. "What have you been doing?"

Cho was silent for a moment. "I was in one of the safe houses that was attacked last month. I was in Italy, and there were about thirty of us. It all happened so fast; the wizards taking care of us were incompetent when it came to defense. If it weren't for the Aurors, we would all be dead, probably." Her shoulders shook as she remembered the events. "I wasn't sure if I would ever make it back to Hogwarts or see any of my friends or…" Her voice trailed off.

Harry had never considered that night that he might never get back to Hogwarts. He had full faith in Kevin and Sara's abilities to keep all the students safe, and they had come through. Cho, apparently, had not been as lucky. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying. "I remember how horrible that night was. I was scared."

He heard Cho giggle. "You, scared? I didn't know anything could scare Harry Potter."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I was a little surprised myself. But at least you had Auror help. We were left to fend for ourselves." He wasn't bitter that no help had been sent for them. They had gotten out of the manor alive and the Aurors had been free to help others. "At least everyone made it back in one piece."

"Yeah," she said. "Well, that night made me realize that, with the war going on and everything, that it's pretty pointless to be mad at someone for a ridiculous reason." She reached across the compartment and placed a hand on Harry's knee. "What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry…for everything that happened last year."

Cho's touch made Harry feel nervous and excited at the same time. When he thought about what might happen this year, he never dreamed that Cho Chang would be apologizing to him. "No, you don't have anything to apologize for, Cho. Last year, there were so many things going wrong that neither of us was thinking straight. I probably didn't help things any." He smiled at her.

She returned with one of her own. "Well, let's just say we both made some mistakes." Cho took her hand from Harry's knee. "Look, the reason I came in here was to ask if we could be friends again."

"Of course," Harry quickly answered. "I'd like it if you were my friend again."

"No, that's not it," she said. "I mean…" She thought for a moment. "Harry, despite what happened last year, I still have some feelings for you. I've tried to sort them out, tried to understand if they were sincere or if I was just trying to find someone to latch on to when I felt sad."

Harry was astonished. "Cho, I don't know what to say. I'm flattered that you still like me. After what happened last year, I thought…"

Cho waved away Harry's comment. "Last year, I was confused about my feelings for you and the grief I had over losing Cedric. He was the first person I ever truly opened up to, but you were the first person I ever wanted to open up to. I was so confused." She placed her face in her hands.

Harry thought she might start crying, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Cho. I never wanted you to feel uncomfortable when you were with me. Please, don't cry." He hated to see Cho cry.

She lifted her face, which was tear free. "I've gotten better about crying. I never meant to make you feel bad. I just needed someone who could understand." She placed a hand over his on her shoulder. "Thanks for listening to me rant, Harry. I'm glad you're my friend again." She stood up. "I promised to meet some of the girls before we get to Hogwarts. I'll see you later." Cho walked towards the door, but stopped and turned back to Harry. "Listen, we were told to bring dress robes for the school year so I think they'll be having another ball. If they are, do you think we could give it a chance?"

Now Harry was perplexed. Cho was asking him out? He didn't know how to respond to this. Somehow, though, he heard himself say, "Sure." She left the compartment.

Harry's mind seemed to have failed him as he tried to recall why he just said what he said. Part of him was glad that he had, while another part, a part that he couldn't quite understand, told him that he had just made the wrong choice.


	14. A New Beginning

The Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade Station, wheels clanking and whistle blowing. Now at a complete stop, the doors opened to admit the students onto the platform. Harry had just finished changing into his school robes, but was in no hurry to leave the train.

He kept going over the conversation he had had with Cho Chang in his mind again and again. If someone had told him yesterday that she would seek him out, apologize for the way she had acted last year, and all but ask to resume their relationship, Harry would have called them mental. This couldn't possibly be for real. The two of them had had so many rows the previous year that there was no way they could have salvaged a romantic relationship. Nonetheless, she had asked if they could reconcile.

The compartment door opened and Harry expected Cho to be there again. Instead, it was Ginny, dressed in school robes with a red and gold "P" on the upper left fabric. She had a bright smile on her face as she and Harry looked at each other for a moment. "Come on, Harry," she said. "You don't want to get left behind." She reached out and took his hand. Harry fixed his eyes on the flowing locks of red hair that swayed back and forth as Ginny led him at a half-run down the corridor and out onto the platform. It was packed with students from all years and Harry had a hard time moving. It was a good thing he was taller then most of the others, so he was able to pick out where Ron and Hermione were. 

Keeping a firm grip on Ginny, he worked his way through the crowd. Harry could not ever remember having this much trouble moving about on the platform, nor could he remember there being this many students. The two continued to pick their way in between students, until Harry bumped into someone he couldn't recognize. It was an adult wizard, but not a teacher. Harry tried to move back, but found his way blocked by Ginny. The wizard turned around and looked at him. "Pardon," he said.

Harry let go of Ginny's hand. "No, my fault. I wasn't paying attention. It's hard to see where I was going."

The older wizard was a handsome man with slick black hair. His eyes were a deep blue and he had broad shoulders. "I can understand that. It was hard enough moving when there were only Aurors moving about. We should have realized it would be nearly impossible once the train arrived. But I'm sure Dumbledore would prefer safety to comfort."

Harry nodded, knowing only too well that the headmaster of the school would do anything to ensure the well being of his students. He looked around the crowd and saw a number of older wizards and witches patrolling the platform. They seemed to be ushering students in all directions. Harry looked a little harder and saw Hagrid at the far end near the lake. Through the commotion, he could hear Hagrid calling out, "First Years, this way!" The smallest of the students started moving towards the largest of the teachers.

"I'm sorry but I have been rude," the dark haired wizard said. Harry turned back to him. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am called Sylvain." He extended his hand.

Harry shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm…"

"Harry Potter," Sylvain finished. "Yes, I know all about you." He turned his eyes towards Ginny. "And you must be…" He took a moment to think. "Ginny Weasley. I know of your family as well. Very powerful line, but not well respected among the more…arrogant wizards. A folly my family and I do not share." He bowed to her and Harry, which caused them both to blush.

Sylvain straightened up. "I wish you both the best of luck in your coming year. I must go now. Be well." He walked through the crowd and vanished among the black robes and cloaks.

Harry and Ginny stared at each other for a moment. "Well, he seemed nice," Ginny finally said. "Very polite, but I'm not sure what he meant when he talked about my family."

"I'm sure he was complimenting you, Ginny," Harry answered. "He said it was a folly not to respect your family. I agree with him." He smiled at her.

As the crowd started to thin out, they made their way towards where Harry had last saw Ron and Hermione. They were not at the same place any longer, but had moved towards the carriages that ushered second years and above to the castle. To most of the students, these were pulled by nothing but air, but to Harry and a select few, creatures called Thestrals were hooked to the cars. These large black, winged horses were intimidating and beautiful at the same time. Only those that had witnessed death first hand could see them. Harry would have given anything not to be able to see them to this day.

They quickly got into the car where Ron and Hermione were waiting for them. As he stepped inside, he thought he saw a flash of red-orange sprint by out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to look, he only saw carriages and students.

The Great Hall was crowded with students bustling about from table to table talking excitedly to friends and classmates. The four house tables were set in the hall in their usual spots, with golden plates and goblets set along them at each seat. Harry and his friends walked towards the Gryffindor table and took seats near the head.

He looked up at the teacher's head table and noticed a few empty seats. One near the edge he knew to belong to Hagrid, who was still with the first years. The two other were side by side between Professor Dumbledore and the astronomy professor, Sinistra. When the hall had gotten quieter, the doors to the hall swung open. The Care of Magical Creatures teacher strode in, followed by a train of first years. He left them to take a seat at the teacher's table.

They formed a line in the center of the hall, as the doors slammed shut behind them, causing a few students to jump. Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the line carrying a three-legged stool and old pointed hat. It sat motionless for a moment, and then a break formed at the brim to form a mouth. It suddenly broke into song:

_In times of old  
When I was young  
And my first song  
Had yet been sung.  
Four great wizards  
Came to be,  
And together forged  
The place you see  
Though they were  
Of a different mind,  
About which student  
They would find  
They were alike  
In that they would  
Teach every student  
That they could  
Said Gryffindor whose  
Heart was brave  
"Give me those  
Who would save  
Their friends and  
Family alike  
And never back  
Down from a fight"  
And Ravenclaw with  
A mind that's true  
Said "I'll take those  
Who would do  
Great things with wisdom  
And power of mind"  
She thought many years  
Beyond her time  
And then twas Hufflepuff  
Both loyal and true  
"I'll take them  
Who are confused  
With dragon's heart  
And wings of flight  
My students will soar  
And do what's right."  
Then Slytherin whose heart  
Was most ambitious  
Would only take those  
Who would do what  
Was thought to be fictitious  
For he was such  
A powerful man,  
He did things  
No other man can.  
So where do you belong?  
I can tell you all  
Just put me on your head  
For there is none too small  
I'm never wrong  
I'm always right  
I can sort all  
Through the night  
So let us start  
If it be your whim  
By my authority  
LET THE SORTING  
NOW BEGIN!!!_

The hall erupted with applause and cheers for the hat's song. Harry wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the tip of the hat fall forward a bit, as if it were taking a bow. Professor McGonagall unfurled a roll of parchment and started reading names. He watched as each small wizard and witch walked up to the stool and placed the hat over his or her ears. Harry remembered this time in his own school life, and remembered it to be unpleasant for him. He feared that he would have no place at Hogwarts, that the hat would reject him for some reason. It had almost placed him in Slytherin house. Harry would have left the school if it had done that.

Once all the students had been sorted into their houses, with twenty-three new Gryffindors, Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat away. Professor Dumbledore stood from his chair, and the hall fell silent. "Welcome to you all, both new students and returning. I am pleased that another school year is beginning, and with it brings new faces. First, a bit of ill news, I am afraid. Professor Trelawney will not be joining us this year, as she has fallen ill." Harry knew the real reason, and made a mental note to talk about this with the others. "However, the class will continue to be taught by Firenze, who took over the position at the end of last year. Also, we are beginning a new class that will be most beneficial to students who wish a career that deals with Muggles. In addition to Muggle Studies, we are also offering Muggle History. I feel that learning both the history of our world and the Muggle world will be most helpful to us all. In this way, we may further our relationship with them. 

"Finally, we have acquired a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who has, not only an extensive knowledge and desire to teach the subject, but who knows the students well and will be able to teach the course effectively. I am speaking of our own, Professor Severus Snape." A wave of disbelief washed over the students, except for the Slytherin table, which cheered wildly and pounded their fists onto the wood.

Harry thought he had stopped breathing. _Snape_, he thought. _He's in charge of the defense class._ Defense Against the Dark Arts was the one class that Harry could say he truly enjoyed, when the right teacher was teaching it. The greasy haired professor was smirking as if he had just been named Minister of Magic.

Professor Dumbledore waved his hands to quiet the hall. "Yes, we are all most eager to see how our own potions master will fare in this new subject. However, he will not be abandoning his regular post as potions professor. He has graciously accepted to teach both subjects…" Harry was about to faint. "…for years one through four." The hall was silent again. Dumbledore continued, "While there is no doubt in my mind that Professor Snape could handle the work load, and I feel that combing the teacher for both potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts will be rewarding and informative, it would be better to have separate teachers for the younger students and those preparing for examinations."

He clapped his hands and waved them towards the hall doors, which swung open again. "Please welcome our advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and our Muggle History professor, Kevin and Sara Hall." Harry, Ginny and Hermione stood quickly to see the two familiar wizards walking through the hall, Sara clothed in a crimson robe and Kevin in a silver streaked, deep blue robe. They were closely followed by the four dogs, which formed a semi-circle behind them. There was another round of applause, which seemed louder from students who were in the house they stayed at.

They both had bright smiles on their faces as they walked towards the staff table. As they reached the front of the hall, Kevin motioned with his right hand. Lita and Stacy walked to the front of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. They sat on the first step leading up to the staff table. Sara gestured with her left hand, much as her husband had, and Chris and Shawn took similar spots near the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables. The wizards stood still for a moment after their animals had taken their positions. Suddenly, they raised their wands above their heads and different colored sparks shot into the air. Bright explosions shot across the hall, amazing the students.

Harry and the others started another round of applause for the new teachers. Now he was sure this year would be worth going through. With Kevin and Sara around, things would be different. The newest additions to the Hogwarts staff took their seats at the table, looking pleased with themselves. Professor Dumbledore raised his hands to quiet the hall once again. "We welcome our new professors with open arms, and now with good food and drink." The plates at the tables suddenly filled with food of all types.

Ron was quick to grab a slab of beef and a generous helping of potatoes. Hermione filled her plate with slices from the turkey and filled her goblet with pumpkin juice. Ginny and Harry made sure they got healthy portions from the ham that seemed to be under attack from every Gryffindor within arms length. Ginny looked at the step where Lita was sitting. The Golden Retriever looked serious, but Ginny could tell she was probably hungry. She took a slice of ham and tossed it to the dog. Lita happily ate the food. A few more students took the hint and started tossing bits of food to the dogs. Even a couple of Slytherin girls were kind enough to feed Chris.

Ginny looked up at Sara, afraid she might have made a mistake by feeding the dog. Sara smiled back at the young Weasley girl and nodded approvingly. Professor Sinistra tapped Sara on the shoulder and the two were soon deep in conversation. Ginny turned back to Hermione and started asking a few questions about being a prefect that she hadn't gotten answered on the train.

Harry looked down the table and saw a face he had been meaning to get in touch with. He stood up and walked down the aisle towards Katie Bell. A seventh year Gryffindor, Katie was next in line to be captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Seeing him walking towards her, she slid aside to make a seat for him. "I thought I'd be seeing you sooner or later."

Harry took the seat next to her. "Why are you dropping out of Quidditch in your last year?"

Katie took a drink from her goblet. "Believe me, I didn't want to. With this being my last year and all, my parents were really on me about studying and getting high marks on my N.E.W.T. exams. I didn't do so well on my O.W.L.s. Anyway, something had to go, and I'm sorry to say that it was Quidditch." Her face sunk a bit. "At least we won the Quidditch cup when I was on the team." She brightened up a bit. "Well, no sense dwelling on it. The team is in your hands now." She clapped him on the shoulder. "Do good, captain."

Harry left Katie and her friends and rejoined the others. When the feast had ended, Professor Dumbledore cleared the tables. "Now, I know that you are all eager to get to bed, but allow me a moment for some announcements. First, for those who are new, or have simply not heard me these past years, the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students. No exceptions will be made. Second, we will be instituting a new security force for the protection of all students. A small band of ministry wizards will always be on hand, should anything get out of hand. This band will be under the watchful eye of our Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, one of whom has his own contribution."

Kevin stood up on Dumbledore's gesture. He cleared his throat, "The dogs you see in front of you are no ordinary animals. They have been especially enchanted to aid in all forms of defense. Now the dog you see in front of your table will be your House dog. They will have access to your dormitories and be able to alert me to anything amiss in the castle." He smirked. "If you thought Mrs. Norris was bad, try getting around my dogs." There was a mild spate of laughter from the braver students who had fallen victim to the watchful eyes of the caretaker's cat. "I wouldn't try hexing them if I were you. They have a particular charm that repels most spells that any student here would know or dare use. Anything stronger…well, I'll save a few surprises for anyone stupid enough to try it."

He sat back down. Dumbledore spoke again. "On a more pleasant note, we are proud to announce that, this year, we will be having a series of balls for students of all ages. We are having these in the hopes that it will keep your spirits up and promote inter-house well-being. The first ball will take place on Halloween night. I hope that you will take part in this endeavor to maintain high morale. With that, I bid you all a good night."

The students rose from the tables and walked towards the hall doors. Hermione pushed her way towards the front, dragging Ron behind her. She was shouting, "First years, follow me please!" Ginny and Harry worked quickly to follow them. Harry desperately wanted to talk with Kevin, but was too tired to think exactly what he wanted to talk about. It could wait until morning. As they worked their way through the students, he saw someone trying to get his attention. Harry leaned in close to Ginny, "What's the password? I have to talk to someone before I go up."

She stopped and turned to him. A puzzled look on her face, she said, "I can wait for you at the portrait hole if you want me too."

Harry shook his head. "That's ok. I don't know how long I'll be and I don't want you to wait." Ginny yielded and told him the password, Snowy Frost. They parted, Ginny walking up the stairs and Harry off to a side corridor. When the hall had thinned a bit, Harry met Cho beside a large statue of a former headmaster.

She was smiling. "Well, what do you say?"

He knew what she was referring to. While it wasn't an unpleasant experience having a date for the ball, probably before everyone else, he paused for a moment. A voice inside him said this was a bad idea, restarting a failed relationship, but another voice told him to give Cho another chance. Harry listened to the second voice. "All right. I'd love to go to the ball with you."

Cho leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slipped his arms around her waist as she moved her head into his neck. Before they broke, he felt a slight peck on his cheek. Cho backed away from Harry, beaming. She practically skipped down the hall towards the Ravenclaw dormitories.

Harry didn't move for a few minutes; he was in awe. Cho was going out with him, and she had just kissed him. This year was definitely going to be the best one yet. He stood for what seemed like hours before he felt a tug at his robes. He looked down and saw Lita with a mouthful of black fabric. She was pulling him towards the staircase. "Taking your job rather seriously, aren't you?" The retriever pulled harder. "All right, I'm coming."

She let go of his robes and they walked towards the staircase. Harry was so delighted at what had just happened he didn't notice a watching figure from the top of the stairs. It wasn't until he heard the sound of fast moving shoes on stone that he looked up and saw a student with long red hair disappear out of sight.

"Ginny?"


	15. The Return Of School

"Snowy Frost."

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open to admit Harry and Lita into the Gryffindor common room. It was surprisingly empty, since usually on the first night back students stayed up late to talk with one another. The only students still awake were Ron and Hermione, who were sitting beside the fireplace. Ron noticed him first. "Harry, where have you been? We lost you after the feast."

Hermione turned in her chair to see him. "How did you get in? We didn't tell you the password."

"I know," Harry answered. "Ginny told it to me before we separated. Sorry I'm late, but I had to talk with someone." Lita walked over to the fireplace and lay down in front of the hearth.

"Who were you talking to?" Ron asked. "About what?"

Harry wasn't sure he wanted to tell them right away. It was nothing to be embarrassed about, but Harry was keen to keep this piece of information to himself for a while. Still, Ron and Hermione were his two best friends. He could confide in them. Walking over to the fireplace, he took a seat in another armchair. "I was talking with Cho. We're going to the Halloween ball together."

Harry had never seen Ron's eyes get so wide before. "Cho Chang? I thought the two of you weren't speaking to each other."

"Yeah we weren't," Harry said. "On the train, though, she came to my compartment and apologized for everything that happened last year. She asked if we could restart our relationship and I agreed to give it a shot."

Hermione leaned back in her chair. "Well, it doesn't really surprise me. When we were in the Prefect's compartment, Marietta Edgecombe came up to me and apologized for snitching to the horrible Umbridge woman about the DA last year. She said something about not staying mad about something stupid and pointless. I apologized for placing the hex on her in the first place. She actually laughed it off saying it was a stroke of genius what I did, and asked if I wanted to leave Gryffindor and come to Ravenclaw." Hermione smiled. "Of course I told her that was impossible, but we still had a laugh at the idea. Did you know that she was made Head Girl this year?"

"Who cares?" Ron replied. "I want to know how Cho can seriously ask Harry to go out with her. Wasn't she dating that git, Michael Corner?"

Harry's face sunk. "Oh yeah." He had forgotten about him. Michael had originally been dating Ginny, but broke up with her after the final Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. He and Cho had apparently gotten together, from Ginny had said at least. "I guess they had a falling out."

Ron shook his head. "I wouldn't trust her, Harry. She trades one guy for the next, you can't be sure it'll last a month."

Hermione reached over and slapped the side of Ron's head. "How can you say that? You don't know anything about her. For all we know, Michael dumped her and she always wanted to come back to Harry. You should be happy for him."

Ron rubbed his head. "I am, but…" He looked over at Harry. "Sorry mate. I just wanted to make sure you weren't in over your head."

"Thanks Ron, and you too Hermione," he answered with a smile. "Don't worry about me. This is going to be the best year ever, though. No Snape, whatsoever, and another great Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Kevin is going to teach us some really powerful spells, I just know it." He looked around the common room. "Hey, did either of you see Ginny come in?"

Ron nodded. "She came in a few minutes before you did, said 'goodnight' and headed up to her room. Seemed a little out of it, though."

_So it was her that was at the top of the stairs_, Harry thought. _She probably was waiting for me, but she left in a hurry. He made a mental note to track her down tomorrow_.

Suddenly, a wave of fatigue swept over him. He stretched out his arms and yawned. "Well, I'm tired. Better be getting to sleep. Goodnight, Hermione." Ron stood with Harry, said his goodnight to her as well and followed Harry up to their room.

When the sun shone through the windows of the Gryffindor dormitory, Harry and Ron were already awake in the common room. Though he was extremely tired the night before, Harry had woken quite early. Ron woke soon after him, so they decided to go downstairs and talk while they waited for breakfast to start being served. Ron asked a lot of questions about Kevin and Sara, which Harry was more than willing to answer.

At around 7:30, the other Gryffindors started coming down from their dormitories and made their way to the Great Hall. Hermione and Ginny soon followed them. They met up with Ron and Harry, though Harry thought Ginny looked a bit pale. As they walked down to breakfast, Harry decided it was best to wait until he and Ginny could have a moment alone before he asked about last night.

When they had arrived at the Great Hall, the staff had already sat themselves at the head table. Harry waved up at Kevin and Sara, who waved back. When they had found a spot near the front of the table, Harry noticed that Ginny was not with them. He looked back and saw her sitting with a group of girls in her own year. Harry frowned, then sat next to Ron.

Professor McGonagall came by the table midway through the meal and handed out course schedules. Harry took his eagerly and scanned it. Finally, he said something he thought he would never say, "All right, we've got Potions today."

Ron and Hermione both started laughing. "This Kevin must be quite a guy to make Harry excited about Potions," Ron said through fits of laughter. He looked over his own schedule. "Don't get too excited. We've also got History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures. First, though, is Herbology with the Hufflepuffs."

"What do you suppose the Sorting hat meant when it talked about 'dragon's heart' and 'wings of flight' when it referenced Helga Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked. "I've been trying to figure it out all night. It just doesn't make sense since the animal of Hufflepuff house is a badger."

Harry and Ron shrugged. If Hermione couldn't figure something out, no one probably could. "Why do you care?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. It's just something I noticed."

The bell rang and the students filed out of the Great Hall to go to their first class. Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle and walked down towards the greenhouse where the Herbology class was taking place. They entered a large glass structure filled with potted plants along the edges and in the center. When they had all gathered, Professor Sprout entered the greenhouse. She was a small, stout witch with dirty hands from constantly working in the ground. She walked to the front of the class. "Welcome sixth year students to another year at Hogwarts. This term we will be exploring the magical healing properties of plants and herbs: particularly, how to grow them and identify them. Take out your text books and turn to page 265."

Harry pulled out his book and turned to the page. For the next hour, Professor Sprout went over the basics of identifying specifics plants and their uses. When the class had ended, The Gryffindors made their way down to Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures. While they were walking, Harry looked up towards the castle and saw a group of students walking in the same direction as them. He knew it was a group of Slytherin sixth years, which included the one person who could ruin Harry's good day, Draco Malfoy.

The two groups of students met near Hagrid's cabin, where the half-giant teacher was waiting for them. Harry tried to stay way from Malfoy, but he always seemed to find a way to be right next to him. "Another year, eh Potter? Another term and another class with a brutish oaf."

Harry rounded on Malfoy. "Not today, Malfoy."

Malfoy smirked. "Oh, really, and why should today be any different then any other day?"

"Because I say it will be," Hagrid said, as he towered over the Slytherin. "Now I won't have any fightin' in my class, understand?" Malfoy stared at the ground and didn't answer. Hagrid motioned for the class to follow him into an open area of the grounds. "We'll start as soon as the animals get here."

Harry shuddered to think what kind of creature Hagrid had in mind for today. If it could travel on its own, it was probably something dangerous. He looked towards the sky, expecting whatever it was to be able to fly, but brought his eyes down to the ground when he heard barking from the hillside. Kevin was walking towards the class followed closely by his dogs. As he got closer, Harry could see a gray owl perched on his left shoulder.

When Kevin had reached the students, he blew a sharp whistle and the dogs lined up side-by-side. He turned to Hagrid. "Well, here they are."

Hagrid smiled widely at the discipline the animals showed. He reached out a hand and stroked the owl on Kevin's shoulder. "Who's this?"

The owl nipped Hagrid's finger affectionately. "This is Avis," Kevin replied. "Best owl I've ever had, but he doesn't care much for the owlery so he keeps close to me or Sara." He lowered his voice a bit. "It does get a bit annoying at times, though." Avis nipped his ear. "All right, sorry. Anyway, I leave these mutts in your care, bring them back whenever." He waved to the class and left.

Hagrid moved along the line of dogs, looking them over. "Magnificent creatures," he said.

Malfoy scoffed. "Is he going to do this all class?"

Harry did his best to ignore the Slytherin, but it was hard. He had hated Malfoy for so long, but knew better then to try anything. Malfoy was a prefect for Slytherin house and could make his life miserable if he really wanted to, which he did. All Harry had to do was give him a reason.

Hagrid finally turned to the class. "Now what we're gonna be doin' today is learnin' about enchanted creatures. Now these aren't ordinary creatures that are common to our world. No, the creatures I'm talkin' about are common to the Muggle world, but specially bred for use in our world." He waved his hand over the dogs. "These creatures here are prime examples. Under the supervision of Ministry wizards, these dogs were bred and raised with magical properties. You all heard about some of them last night at the feast, but I'll bet me cabin that there are things even Professor Hall don't know about."

Malfoy suppressed a laugh. "Who would bet against him for that worthless piece of firewood? The only worth less then that cabin is Hagrid himself."

It was more then Harry could take. He turned quickly on Malfoy. "Shut the hell up," he said, quietly so Hagrid wouldn't hear. "I won't hear anything else from you about Hagrid."

Malfoy didn't seem the least bit intimidated. "Careful, Potter." He tapped the "P" on his robe. "I can put you in detention for so long that my grandchildren will get out of school before you do."

Hermione tugged at Harry's robe. "Harry, don't sink to his level." He turned back around and tried to listen to Hagrid. For a few moments, Malfoy didn't make another sound, but then he heard Malfoy mutter something under his breath.

The next minute happened so fast that Harry barely understood what had gone on. Something suddenly pushed him to the ground and there was the sound of someone screaming and students excited outbursts. He opened his eyes slowly and saw red-gold fur above him. Lita had forced him onto his back and was growling at something behind him. Harry moved her off of his chest, stood up and looked to see what had happened. Malfoy was clutching his right hand, with the other three dogs surrounding him. They were all growling and baring teeth.

Hagrid blew a sharp whistle to call them off. "Now you understand why you should listen to me when I'm talkin'. Otherwise, you would have heard me when I said that these dogs have sensitive hearin', even more so then normal dogs. They could hear your spell, almost before you said it." Malfoy got to his feet, holding his right hand. "That, and their furs are magically enchanted to ward off spells. They make great security dogs, which is why they were brought here."

Malfoy scowled at the animals. "These are nothing but filthy beasts. I'll have them destroyed, just like I had your nasty hippogriff killed."

Hagrid walked right up to Malfoy. "You can try, runt, but this time you don't have your dad to stick up for you. Now I know that you were about to hex Harry, and that's why the dogs attacked. They have senses that you don't know anythin' about. Now that's thirty points from Slytherin and a detention I'll think of later."

He backed off and walked back towards the front of the class. "All right, we're ending a little early today. This term we'll learn about breedin' magical creatures. If I can get the permits through, we might try a bit of it ourselves. So read up in the section in your textbooks, and be ready to answer a few questions on Wednesday. Dismissed." The class walked back to the castle, except for Harry, Ron and Hermione.

They walked over to Hagrid, who was looking very pleased. "I know it ain't right to bully a student, but it's about time that spoiled prat got put in his place."

Hermione smiled. "It was right of you to stand up to him. He is, after all, a student and you are his teacher. He should show you respect." She leaned over and patted Lita on her head. "Though I wonder how the school governors will take an attack on a student."

"No worry there," Hagrid answered. "Professor Dumbledore already worked out that problem. If the dogs are preventin' an attack on a student, then it's all right. Chris was protectin' Harry, so he can't be in trouble."

"Well, that's good," Ron said. "Any animal that doesn't like Malfoy is a friend of mine."

"It's not that he doesn't like Malfoy," Hermione interrupted. "It's just a matter of protecting a student. They can't possibly like one person more than another."

Hagrid's face suddenly looked very surprised. "I don't believe it. Hermione, I can't believe I'm tellin' you this but, you're wrong." Hermione looked positively shocked. "Yeah, these dogs can like or not like someone. Didn't you hear me tell the rest of the class that these animals can understand what we say and can act on their own, without needin' to be told what to do. It's as if they're furry people."

Ron had to try his hardest to keep from laughing when he heard Hagrid tell Hermione she was wrong. He kept trying to hold it in as they walked up towards the castle, but failed as they entered the main hall. "I never thought I would live to hear the words 'Hermione, you're wrong.' This is a day for the history books." Hermione quickened her pace to leave Ron and Harry behind. Ron speed up to catch her, calling out "I was just joking."

Harry decided to let them cool off a bit. He lingered outside the Great Hall, where lunch was being served. While he was there, he noticed Cho walking towards him with one her friends, Marietta Edgecombe. They were about to enter the hall when Cho noticed Harry standing off to the side. She pulled Marietta along with her and walked towards him. "Hi, Harry," she said. "What are you doing over here?"

He smiled at her. "Letting a couple of my friends wind down before I join them." He looked over at Marietta. "Congratulations on being made Head Girl."

She blushed. "Thank you."

Cho nudged her shoulder into her friend's. "She always turns red when someone mentions that title. I guess I would to, well I have every time someone says something about my being made Quidditch captain of the Ravenclaw team." Cho blushed a bit, obviously not wanting to brag about this.

"Really," Harry replied. "You're a Quidditch captain too?" Cho looked up in surprise. "I was made captain of the Gryffindor team." The girls congratulated him. "Thanks. The only problem is now I have only two players, our keeper, Ron and myself. The two beaters we had won't come back. Our chasers either left school or resigned from the team. As for the seeker last year, Ginny, she may come back as a chaser, but I'm not sure."

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you," Cho said. Marietta tugged at her robe and nodded towards the hall. Cho understood. "We're going to get something to eat, now. Anytime you want to talk or see me, send an owl to the dormitory and I'd be glad to meet you." She waved and walked off.

Harry couldn't believe the luck he was having this year so far. A lot of great things had happened to him already, and he knew more things would start going his way.

The last statement is of course, arguable. While Harry was indeed having a great day, a few things beyond his control kept popping up to dampen his mood. For one, Malfoy found it necessary to complain about the mistreatment he had suffered in Hagrid's class at lunchtime to Professor Snape, who was head of Slytherin house. Normally, it was better to make a complaint to a teacher in private, but Malfoy decided it was in his best interest to make as much of a scene as he could. What was worse was that neither Kevin nor Sara was in the hall to defend their animals.

Snape listened to Malfoy's complaint and said something Harry couldn't hear. The young Slytherin went back to his table, looking pleased. Harry ignored the snide look Malfoy shot his way, and turned his attention towards his own table. Ginny was still sitting with the same group she had last night, but this time it was plus two people, Seamus and Dean, the latter of the two seemed to sitting a bit too close to Ginny for Harry's liking.

He forced himself to look away, still not sure why it bothered him that Dean and Ginny were together. Ron and Hermione had somewhat patched their friendship for the moment. They said a few words to each other, but mostly ate in silence. When lunch was almost over, Harry left the hall, leaving Ron and Hermione to have another quick row before Potions class. He shook his head as he thought of the many fights and wars of words the two of them had had over the past years.

As he walked towards the dungeon, he heard a menacing voice call to him. "Potter, come here." Harry turned around and saw Professor Snape stalking towards him. The dark-haired potions master loomed over him. "I understand that you had an altercation with one of my students in your last class. I want to know what happened."

"Didn't Malfoy explain it all?" he replied.

"He did, but I want to hear your twisted version," the Potions master said. "I could use a good laugh, since I won't get to see you fail in your N.E.W.T level classes, which if it were up to me, you would no longer be in them."

"Well, then it's a good thing it isn't up to you, isn't it Severus?"

They looked over and saw Kevin standing to one side. "If it were up to you, the Potions class would have no students except those in Slytherin. Now, I heard that you wanted Harry's side of the story. Go on, Harry."

The young wizard smiled. "Well, it all happened so fast. I heard Malfoy mutter something, and the next thing I know, I'm flat on the ground and he's clutching his hand." He wished that he could have lied and said more things that would make Malfoy look bad, but he didn't dare try it. Snape was highly skilled at Legilimency and would know if something he said was untruthful. Also, Harry couldn't bring himself to lie in front of Kevin, someone he actually did respect.

Snape scowled at Harry. "At least my student had enough sense to know what was going on around him. He told me that you caused those beasts to attack him. I understand that you spent the summer in the same house as them, so you know how to control them."

"First off," Kevin interrupted. "No one controls my dogs, not even me. If they had reason to attack your student, he probably deserved it. Besides, it was just a little bite. There was no blood drawn and he will be able to continue his classes with no handicap. I expect him to be in Potions today, Severus. No half-baked excuses."

"Very well," Snape said. "But I am having the detention removed, since we can't be sure who started the incident."

Kevin shook his head. "The detention stands. Draco will go to Hagrid's cabin tomorrow night and Hagrid will decide the appropriate punishment. If he doesn't show up, he will be in serious danger of losing his prefect status." Snape shot Kevin a threatening look and skulked away.

Harry looked over at him. "Thanks for the save."

Kevin smiled. "My pleasure. I didn't think for a minute that you did anything to start the fight, but I knew Malfoy and Snape would probably make it seem that way." He shook his head at the retreating Snape. "So anyway, having a good year so far, Harry?"

"I am," Harry answered. "I'm glad that you and Sara are here, but why didn't you ever tell us you two were being made teachers?"

"Not that we were trying to hide anything from you," Kevin said. "We just decided to keep our positions under wraps, as sort of a surprise. Actually there was a point where we weren't sure if we were going to accept the positions. Some things happened that made Sara and I think we might be more useful somewhere else, but we made the final decision to come here after the Death Eater attack. Dumbledore was glad to have us both and we're very glad to be here."

A bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch and telling students to get to their next class. "Looks like I've got your class next," Harry said. They walked together towards the dungeon where the Potions class was normally taught. When they reached a stone corridor, Harry could already hear students queued outside, waiting for the door to be unlocked. When Kevin and Harry had made it to them, the teacher pulled back a bit and let Harry go in on his own.

Harry didn't notice he was alone as he joined the other students, which were made up of Gryffindors and Slytherins. Malfoy saw him walk into the hall. "Potter, we meet again. Did you have a nice talk with Professor Snape?"

Harry was a little surprised that Malfoy would talk like this in front of a teacher, when he realized he was alone. "Yeah, real nice talk," he answered, unsure where Kevin had gone. "By the way, your detention stands."

Malfoy's smug expression had changed to one of anger. "How dare you speak to me like that? I am a prefect, Potter, and you're just a pathetic little…"

A growl echoed along the stone corridor and Malfoy shut his mouth clasped his right hand. Kevin had joined them followed closely by Chris. "Pathetic little what, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked. Malfoy kept his mouth shut. "That's what I thought. Everyone inside." He unlocked the dungeon door and the student took seats at the various tables.

Kevin and Chris walked to the front of the class. "Welcome to your N.E.W.T. Potions class. This term we will be working in conjunction with the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which I also happen to teach, and the Herbology class. I will be teaching you how to brew certain potions that will enhance the senses and fortify the mind. Also, once Professor Sprout has grown the necessary plants, we will be making medicinal remedies for some of the more serious injuries and illnesses that have crept up in our world. I expect each of you to do your very best in this class, as I will accept nothing below what you can accomplish. If you are having a problem with a certain potion, or if you have a question, you may get help from a fellow student or you may ask me. Do not be afraid to ask for help if it is needed." Harry had the sneaking suspicion that he was speaking more so to Neville Longbottom than any other student. Neville often had problems in potions, for which Professor Snape gave him a very hard time. Kevin, apparently, took a different approach to this class.

"It has also come to my attention that this class has the most problems when it come to student relationships, as I saw out in the hall." He shot Malfoy a scolding look. "I will not tolerate disrespect among my students towards other students or myself. Now, with that said, let's start on our first potion." He waved his wand towards the blackboard. Sentences formed across it, and the students were quick to go to work.

The Slytherins were surprisingly quiet in this lesson. Harry didn't hear one sarcastic comment or insult the whole class. It even went well for Neville who, with a little help from Kevin, produced a passable antidote for spider venom. The entire class left feeling good about their work. When most of the class had left, Harry walked up to the teacher's desk. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kevin, who had been looking at a roll of parchment at this point, looked up at Harry. "Sure, but don't you have a class now?"

Harry remembered that he still a History of Magic lesson. "Oh, right. Well, this might take a while, so can I catch you after dinner?"

"Sure thing," Kevin answered. "Come by my office at about 8 o'clock."

Harry thanked him and hurried to catch up with the others.


	16. A Moment Of Reflection

History of Magic was by far the most boring class in all of Hogwarts. One might think that learning about events that preceded their own generation would interest students, and it just might, if the professor teaching the subject had a bit more enthusiasm about his subject. Professor Binns, the only ghost professor at Hogwarts, was a clear cure for insomnia. His monotone voice carried across the student's ears, but rarely got beyond that. Even Hermione, who was normally a good listener in all her subjects, began to doze off.

Harry set his chin in his right hand. He could feel his eyelids start to fall as Professor Binns talked about the formation of the first Ministry of Magic. He had made a personal promise to himself that he would do as well as he could in all his classes, which meant no copying of Hermione's notes or work, listening well in class and staying awake. The last part was the hardest one to keep, especially with Professor Binns. 

His vision started to blur as he tried to slip into unconsciousness. A flash of red caught his eye and he was shaken back to reality. _Ginny?_ he thought. No, it was just Ron, who was a lot closer to sleep then he was. Harry shook his head. For the past hour, her name seemed to creep up in the back of his mind and he had no idea why.

The bell finally sounded to end classes for the day. He, Ron and Hermione made their way back up to Gryffindor tower to relax a bit before dinner. Harry left Ron and Hermione in the common room and went up to his dormitory to catch a quick nap. He entered the room, threw his bag by his bed, and stopped in his tracks. The room was not empty as he thought it might be. Dean Thomas was sitting on his bed, parchment and quill in hand.

The West Ham boy looked up at Harry as he entered. "Hey there, Harry," he said. "You need a break, too?"

Harry nodded and lay down on his own four-poster bed. "I'd forgotten that some of these days could be longer than others."

"I know how that can be," Dean replied. "Going to be even worse once Quidditch starts, eh?" Harry mentally hit himself. He had forgotten about Quidditch and how he had to find a whole new team. It was one more thing that weighed on his mind. Dean got up from his bed, tucking the parchment under his pillow. He walked over to Harry. "Hey, listen. When you hold tryouts, think there might be any chance I could make Beater? I've wanted to play for so long, but I never got the chance."

Harry opened one eye and looked at him. "If you impress me, I might think about it." Dean smiled and went back to his own bed, grabbing the parchment and picking up his quill. After a few moments, Harry's curiosity got the better of him. "What are you writing? We didn't get any homework today."

Dean didn't answer for a moment. "It's a letter," he finally said, his voice a little shaky. "To a girl."

Harry felt his fists tighten, and then released them before Dean noticed. He didn't press the issue, since he had a good idea who Dean was writing to. He rolled onto his side and tried to get some sleep, but he was more awake now then he had been all day.

An hour later, Ron was shaking Harry awake for dinner. He slowly got to his feet and followed him and Hermione down to the Great Hall. Harry did not see Dean again until they entered the hall, when he saw him sitting at the same spot he had taken at lunch. This time, though, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil had joined the group.

They took a seat near the head of the table and began helping themselves to the varieties of food offered. Harry began to notice that neither Kevin nor Sara had entered the hall. He wasn't concerned since he had an appointment with Kevin later that evening, but it was odd for a teacher not to be present at mealtime without a good reason.

This reason became clear as a gray owl swooped down from the ceiling and landed in front of Harry. He knew that this was Avis, Kevin's personal owl. Avis extended his leg, indicating that he had a letter for Harry. He untied the note, and Avis soared from the table. Harry unfurled the note:

_Dear Harry,  
Sorry to do this, but I have to cancel for tonight. Something came up and Sara and I are going to be busy. Get in touch with Sara tomorrow about when I'll be available. If nothing else, talk with me on Wednesday after Defense Against the Dark Arts. Keep out of trouble._

Kevin

Harry's heart sank. He was looking forward to talking with Kevin tonight. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but now he would have to wait. Looking around the table, he thought about talking with Ron or Hermione. The only problem was that neither of them could give him the answers he really needed. First, he wanted to talk about Cho and how she suddenly had a change of heart towards him. Ron had already made his feelings about her clear, but Hermione might be an objective person. She had scolded Ron for jumping to conclusions about her. However, he did feel a bit uncomfortable about speaking with Hermione about something like this.

There was always Ginny, but she another part of his problem. Since last night, she had been reclusive. He wondered if it might have something to do with Cho, but pushed that thought out of his mind. Hermione had told him last year that Ginny no longer had any interest in him, which had suited him fine. The last month or so, though, he had noticed that she paid a bit more attention to him and that he felt a bit awkward when she was near. He had had these feelings before, he remembered. They started in his third year when…

Harry suddenly lost his appetite. He remembered the feelings had started in his third year, when he had first noticed Cho. 

Harry went to bed early that night. He had not been in much of a social mood after he had realized that he was developing feelings for Ginny Weasley. It was not something he was prepared for. Up until last year, Harry had thought of her only as "Ron's little sister." Then, after everything that had happened, Ginny became "a fellow Gryffindor" and, most recently, he started to think of her as "a friend." She had gone from a person in his life, to a center point in his life in the span of a year.

Harry placed his hands over his eyes. All of this was happening too fast for him to handle it. He needed someone to talk to, but the only person he thought would understand all of this was shut up somewhere. Harry decided to do the only thing he could think of. Throwing off his covers, he reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment, his quill and a bottle of ink. If he couldn't talk to Kevin directly, he'd put it all on paper and give it to him tomorrow, if not at breakfast then he'd send Hedwig with it.

He started writing, not sure how he wanted to word his letter but he didn't care. Kevin would understand what he meant to say, and Harry could always explain what he meant when he spoke with him. He didn't know how long he had been writing, but it was long enough for the other boys in his dormitory to stomp up the stairs. Harry finished his last sentence, tucked the parchment away, and dove back under the covers. 

Kevin was still nowhere to be seen at breakfast the next day. Harry finished early and made his way to the owlery to give Hedwig the letter. He probably could have given it to another teacher to give to him, but he didn't want to take the chance that it might be read by accident.

He met up with Ron and Hermione outside Professor Flitwick's Charm classroom. The small teacher appeared to be in quite a good mood. "Today," he started. "We will be studying the _Discidium charm_. It is a very good addition to any spell, where there are multiple targets. This particular charm turns one spell into many. Let me demonstrate."

He walked over to his desk, jumped on top and waved his wand at a cabinet on the side of the room. It opened and four cushions floated out, landing on the floor opposite Flitwick. "Now I want you all to watch very closely. _Accio Cushion._" The cushion farthest right leapt from its resting spot into Flitwick's arms. "Now that was a common Summoning Charm. It works for one object at a time. However, with the _Discidium_ charm attached to it, you can use one spell for multiple targets." He waved his wand and the cushion returned to its original spot. The Charms professor waved his wand again. _"Discidium Accio Cushion."_ All four leapt from the ground and flew at Professor Flitwick. They knocked the small teacher from his desk to the floor. A number of students close to him got up from their desks and went to help their teacher. He waved them off. "No worries, no worries. This is not the first time such a thing has happened." He stood up and the students returned to their desks. "Now, this is a common spell used by many wizards, but there is something unique about this spell. Can anyone figure it out?"

Not surprising to anyone, Hermione raised her hand. Professor Flitwick pointed at her, indicating she could answer. "The spell has been used, but without the incantation."

"Correct, Miss Granger," he said. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Indeed, many wizards have mastered this charm and do not need to recite it for it to affect their spells. This is only one of many such spells that can be used by wizards without incantations. Depending on their specialty, one can become in wordless magic in Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts. We will, of course, be studying these more in-depth as the term goes on."

Something in the back of Harry's mind forced his attention away from Professor Flitwick's lecture. Being sure not to draw any attention to himself, he pulled the Auror book from his bag. He flipped through some pages until he came to a section he had recently skipped over entitled _Discidium._ He scanned the pages and saw a list of spells that could be used with this charm, and sure enough, the Patronus Charm was among them. Well, at least one of his questions was answered.

The class continued with an enjoyable air as the Gryffindors practiced the charm over and over. It was an easy enough spell when the incantation was used, but when they tried it wordlessly, it didn't work. Even Hermione had trouble with the spell.

After the first lesson, the Gryffindors marched to the fifth floor for their first Muggle History lesson. As they walked along the corridor, Harry saw for the first time the Ministry wizards and Aurors that Dumbledore had mentioned. They were simply adult wizards dressed in dark robes. They did not look menacing or threatening in any way. In fact, one wizard stopped to help a seventh year Hufflepuff girl who had dropped her bag when she had accidentally bumped into him. He waved at her as she walked on to her class.

Harry stopped as he passed the friendly wizard. "That was nice of you," he said.

The ministry wizard looked down at him with a smile. "And why shouldn't it be? Just because we are here to protect the school doesn't mean that we must act like Dementors."

"No," Harry quickly said. "That's not what I meant. At least I don't think that's what I meant. I'm sorry, it's just that most of the Aurors I've met walk around with scowls and attack shadows."

The Auror's smile got wider. "Well, we can't all be like Mad-Eye Moody." He extended his hand. "My name is Dragair, and you are?"

Harry shook his hand with a look of disbelief. There were only perhaps a small number of people who didn't instantly know who he was by looking at the scar on his forehead. "I'm Harry," he responded, not wanting to give his last name. No sense in drawing undue attention.

Dragair seemed to know anyway. "Ah yes, Harry Potter. I had hoped I would meet you. Are you enjoying your sixth year so far? How are your classes going?"

Harry suddenly that he had been going to a class. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm late."

He ran off, Dragair waving behind him. He reached the classroom just in time for his stomach to take a dive. The class was combined with the Slytherins, which included Malfoy and his cronies. Malfoy shot Harry a hateful glare as Harry took a seat on the other side of the room with Ron and Hermione. They had apparently just noticed that he had not been with them. "Where did you run off to?" Ron asked.

He told them about Dragair and how he had stopped to talk for a moment. Sara suddenly walked into the classroom; the students took their seats. Harry could not get over how beautiful she looked, especially now in her crimson robes. This sentiment was shared by most of the guys in the class who had their eyes glued to the front of the room. Sara let the silence set for a moment. "Good morning. How are you all doing today?"

There was a murmur from the students. Harry had to chuckle a bit, since he had never seen a class act like this before. Granted, they were not all likely to answer a teacher with clear sentences, but they at least had their attention elsewhere while they didn't answer them. Sara didn't seem to mind it, though. "I'm glad to hear that. Welcome to Muggle History. This class will familiarize you with the Muggle world and how it has progressed over the centuries. While some of you may find the class pointless, I assure you that most professions nowadays require you to interact with Muggles at least part of the time. Whether it is for a few minutes, or years on end, it is a good idea to have and understanding of their world and their history. Of course, your class will be at a disadvantage since you are starting so late. Each year, I have designed a curriculum that will build upon each other over seven years. Since you're all starting in year six, you'll only have two years of study, unless you wish to do any study on your own." She smiled across the entire class.

Sara started telling them about American development in the mid 1800's, specifically emphasizing the Civil War and the effect it had on other countries. When the bell rang to end class, Harry quickly made his way to the front. "Sara, got a minute?"

She looked up at him from some papers on her desk. "I take it you want to talk about that letter. Kevin's sorry he had to cancel, but he had to help Hagrid with something…big. He should be at lunch, and I'll talk to him." It was the best that Harry could hope for.

Ron and Hermione were waiting outside the class. "You seem to disappear a lot, mate," Ron said. "We should put a bell around your neck so we know where you are."

They made their way down to the Great Hall, where Harry found a brown tawny owl was waiting for him. He unfurled the note and read:

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement at 5 o'clock._


	17. The Room Where It All Started

Sara walked into her husband's office carrying a tray of food. She had hoped to have lunch with him, knowing that he would not be able to join her in the Great Hall, but found him asleep with his head on his desk. Setting the tray off to the side, she walked behind him and gently placed her hands on his back. "Kevin," she said, softly. She pressed her fingers into his back. "Kevin, time to wake up sweetie."

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stirred under his wife's gaze. "Yeah, I'm up," he said. "It was hard to stay awake in that first year class. Those kids didn't feel like talking at all."

Sara pulled a chair close to him. "How late were you and Hagrid out there? I didn't even see you when I woke up."

Kevin rubbed sleep from his eyes. "We pulled an all-nighter. He let me catch a few hours sleep in his cabin, though. Grawp is making progress, though. He's learning to control his temper and his language is coming along well. Hagrid is a real good teacher." Kevin yawned and Sara got up to retrieve the tray of food.

Grawp was Hagrid's brother and, for the past summer, had been under his brother's tutelage in the hopes that he could be of use to the Order. Hagrid had done his best to teach Grawp English and to keep his emotions in check. It was the hope of Dumbledore that Grawp could be taught to help persuade the giants to join in the war effort. So far, it looked promising.

The couple ate together discussing their classes over the past two days. When the food had been devoured, Sara brought up the subject of Harry. "He's been trying to get in touch with you for a while. He has a lot of questions to ask you."

Kevin nodded. "I know and I'll try to talk with him. But from what I understand, he'll be busy tonight, so I don't want to disturb him."

Sara wrapped her arms around his neck. "What makes you think that?"

Kevin slid an arm around her waist. "From what Stacy tells me, someone in Ravenclaw is working hard tonight to see that he thinks of nothing but her."

Harry stood outside a room on the fourth floor, the room that the note had told him to be at. He had a good idea who had sent the note, but he wasn't sure if he was happy about it or if he should be nervous. Reaching out a hand, he turned the knob and opened the door. Inside the Room of Requirement, he found a small table set in the middle with two plates on it. Candles were set across the room and Cho was sitting on a couch, a smile on her face. She looked very calm with her legs folded under her.

She smiled as Harry walked in. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "I was a little nervous you might decline my offer." She patted the spot next to her, telling Harry to sit down.

He did, still unsure of himself. They room was silent as the two young wizards sat together. Cho moved slightly closer to Harry and touched his hand. "Are you ok, Harry? I get the feeling that you don't want to be here."

Harry shook his head. "No, that's not it. I do want to be here." What made that statement strange is that he felt that he really meant it. He wrapped his hand around hers. "Of course I want to be here. I've dreamt of this moment for a long time. Now that's it here, though, I'm just a little nervous. I mean, this is the room where we first…" He couldn't finish his sentence. He had had his first kiss in this room with Cho. It was as if the fates were giving him a second chance, and he wasn't about to blow it.

He leaned in close to her face and pressed his lips to hers. Now, more then ever, he knew that this was right.

Ginny Weasley sat up late in the common room that night. She had been pouring over some notes from her defense Against the Dark Arts class. Kevin was a very interesting teacher, but he was stricter then she would have thought. For their first lesson, he had reviewed over everything they were supposed to know up to this point. For the most part, her class was up to date on what they should know, but there were a few points where her year was behind. For that, he had assigned a worksheet that had information and questions, which would catch them up.

Her attention kept waning from her work to a notice that had been placed on the Gryffindor board in the common room. It was an announcement that Ron had put up earlier that night telling the whole dormitory of Quidditch tryouts this Friday. She wanted so badly to be on the team for another year, but was unsure if she wanted to be on a team that had Harry as a captain. She was unclear at this moment how she was really feeling about him.

Ginny forced her mind away from Quidditch and forced it back to her work. She was just finishing the section on curses and counter-curses when the portrait hole opened and Harry walked in. She knew it would be impossible for her to finish her work now. Harry had a look of pure bliss on his face. He walked as if he were walking on clouds. She looked up at him. Keeping her voice low, she said, "You're out late, aren't you? Never knew you were the type of person to be out after hours on your own."

Harry flopped down into an armchair, smiling. "Yeah, normally I don't stay out late, but tonight was special." Ginny forced herself to look back at her homework. She really didn't want to hear where he'd been; she already had a good idea. He looked at the smoldering embers in the fireplace for a minute, and then turned back to her. "Hey, did you see the notice about Quidditch tryouts?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah, I did, but I'm not sure if I'll try out."

"How come?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I'll have the time with my O.W.L exams and all. It would really take up a lot of my time."

"If you wanted," Harry replied. "You could be a reserve. Ron and I are training a reserve team this year in case someone gets injured. Besides, don't you want to try out that new broom that Bill and Charlie sent you?"

Ginny blushed. Of course Ron would have told him about the Nimbus 2000X that her two oldest brothers had bought her for becoming a prefect. It was the latest in the Nimbus series and would make a good Quidditch broom. She had asked for something simple, like Ron had gotten a year before, but her brothers tended to spoil her a bit. There were advantages to being the only girl in a family of boys. "Well, I might give it a try."

Harry stood up. "You should." He walked up the stairs to his dormitory, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just had a conversation with the one person he had wanted to talk to for the past two days.


	18. Decisions

Harry had been asleep for a few hours before he felt a hand shake him awake. "Harry," it said. "Harry, wake up." He stirred, and reached over to the nightstand for his glasses. Kevin was standing over him. "Get up, Harry. Meet me in the common room." He left the room.

Harry got to his feet and soon followed him down to the common room. Kevin was sitting in an armchair next to a recently restored fire. He motioned for Harry to take a seat across from him. "I'm sorry that it took me a couple of days to get back to you. I've had my hands full with a few things, but I'm free now and I thought it might be best we talk out of earshot of anyone else."

The young wizard nodded. He was a bit upset with Kevin since he had interrupted a dream he was having about Cho, but at least he could get some questions answered. "Thanks for seeing me. I've been really confused about a few things for a while now. What happened to you and Sara after the Death Eater attack?"

Kevin interlocked his fingers. "We apparated out, and then we blew up the house."

Harry's eyes widened. "Blew up the house?"

"Yep," Kevin answered. "Sara and I used a spell to plant a magical bomb and we got out of their with the dogs. We used a spell to Apparate them as well. Figured we could take out a few Death Eaters while we were at it." He took out his wand and waved over the empty space. A table sprung up and a jug of pumpkin juice appeared. He poured himself a glass and Harry one as well. "Now I guess you want to know why we were attacked."

Harry shook his head. "Not really. I thought they were after me."

Kevin stared at Harry for a moment. "Bit full of yourself, aren't you? You might be right, but to be honest we are not sure. You know that we were not the only safe house hit that night, right? Well, we think this might just have been a random strike designed to take out as many Hogwarts students as possible. The only reason we might have been hit was that the Death Eater that attacked Hermione got word back to Voldemort. Whether that gave him an idea where you were or not, we just can't be sure."

That sparked another question in Harry. "Who was it that attacked Hermione?"

Kevin shook his head. "I can't tell you that Harry. I'll only reveal that information to Dumbledore and Hermione, and she has to make the conscious effort to tell you. She has the right to know first, and I won't bring up the subject until she does." His tone indicated finality to the subject. His voice suddenly lightened. "How have you liked your classes so far?"

"Oh, they've been fine," Harry said, taken aback by the change in subject. "I like your Potions class so far, and Sara's too."

The professor smiled. "Thanks, we're trying our best to keep things interesting. We're all trying to make this year as simple as possible on all the students. Though, we can't do it all by ourselves. We have been hoping that the students would help each other, hence the Halloween Ball." He took a drink from his glass.

"That was a great idea," Harry said, a big smile on his face. "I am really going to enjoy it."

Kevin stared at him again. "Already have a date? Someone in Gryffindor?"

"No, Ravenclaw. Cho Chang."

Something made a thud from the top of the girl's dorms. Kevin got up and shined a light from his wand up the stairs. "Hmm, probably a ghost making some trouble." He sat back down in front of the fire. "Ravenclaw, eh? Stacy gave me the idea that someone in that house had an interest in you. I just wasn't sure that you would have in interest in her."

Harry looked quizzical. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Kevin said. "I'm happy that you've found someone. Reminds me of when Sara and I first started going out." His eyes glazed over and his head lolled back onto the chair. "I was just about your age when I stopped looking at her as a friend and as something more. We went out for years before I got up the nerve to ask her to marry me."

Harry sat up straighter in his chair. "Can you tell me what it felt like when you started dating?"

Kevin closed his eyes. "It was so long ago, but I remember that I couldn't think straight for almost two years. Every time she looked at me, she touched me or even talked to me was like being in the presence of an angel. It felt wonderful to know that someone like her could love someone like me."

"Did you ever feel like there might be someone else?"

Kevin's eyes opened. "What makes you say that?"

"Nothing," Harry answered. "I was just wondering."

Kevin leaned forward. "Harry, is there someone else on your mind? Do you have feelings for someone else?" Harry didn't answer. "Well, if you do I'm telling you now to forget about her, because you can't be sure of anything if you're sure of nothing."

"I don't understand."

"What I mean is that, even if you have romantic feelings for two women, you have to pick one and see where that leads you. I'll answer your question. Yes, there was another woman I had feelings for. I never told Sara about it because it didn't matter. I was in love with her at the time and the other woman eventually left my life. I haven't regretted my decision for a second, but I knew that if, by some chance in hell that Sara and I didn't end up together, I would have loved the other woman with all my heart. Think about this for a second, though. If I had tried to find my feelings for both of them at the same time, I would have lost them both and I couldn't live with that. So my advice is this, concentrate on one of them. Find out how you feel and work from there." Kevin pulled a silver pocket watch from his robes. "I've kept you up long enough. Think about what I said, and I'll see you tomorrow."

He left the common room and Harry went back up to his dormitory. As he lay in his bed, he made a final decision. He would forget about Ginny and concentrate on Cho.

The following day, Harry was true to his word. He sought out Cho early in the morning to spend some time with her before breakfast. She was so pleased to see him; she invited him to eat with her at the Ravenclaw table. He thought it might be a bit awkward, but caved in when she placed a kiss on his lips. It was actually quite enjoyable. He talked with some students that he had only passed by in the corridors before. When the bell rang, he walked with Cho to her Charms class then, after stealing a kiss from her, went to Herbology.

Ron and Hermione kept throwing odd looks his way. They had never seen him act this way. Professor Sprout continued her lecture about medicinal herbs. After that class, they made their way to Care of Magical Creatures. Malfoy was much more subdued this class, seeing as how Chris had made a surprise visit to the patch. The dogs had been making routine patrols around the grounds and the castle, but the German Shepard took an extra long time inspecting the area. He took special interest in the ground around Malfoy, much to Harry, Ron and Hermione's pleasure.

After lunch, they went to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. When they entered the classroom, the first thing they noticed was the absence of desks. They had all been pushed off to the side, leaving the center of the room clear. Kevin walked down the staircase at the back of the room. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Place your bags to the side and take out your wands." The students followed the instructions. "Now, today I want to review the spells that you should know up to this date. I understand that your year has had the worst luck with defense teachers, but I have the utmost confidence that what you haven't learned, you will pick up on it quickly."

He started naming off spells to see which student could cast the spell correctly at him. They, of course, did no damage since he had a shield charm over himself. When Kevin was satisfied that they had a good understanding of the spells, he put the desks back where they were and started to talk to them about the spells they would be learning this year. He put special emphasis on the protective spells that would ward off the stronger spells that were most likely to be used. Since this was a double class, Kevin allowed them a little time to practice their spells in pairs. He put special charms on the "target" students so the spell's effects would wear off soon after being cast.

The bell finally rang to end the class, and he told them to study up on experimental curses and the least commonly used curses for next class. Harry talked to Kevin before he left for dinner. "Thanks for the advice last night." Kevin nodded, and Harry left the room.

When he sat down for dinner, no less then fifteen Gryffindor students came up to him saying they would all be trying out for the Quidditch team on Friday. This encouraged him and Ron, who were looking forward to starting Quidditch soon. Cho, who had seen the students coming up to Harry, came over herself to wish him luck on picking a new team, one that would give her team a good season.

He kept an eye out for Ginny, wondering if she might tell him whether or not she would try out for the team. He soon saw her enter the hall with Sara. She looked upset. He pointed her out to Ron and Hermione, and Hermione quickly got up and went over to her. Harry saw them talk for a moment, and then Ginny took a seat near Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Hermione sat back down. "What's up with her?"

She gave him a stern look, and then softened her expression a bit. "Nothing. She just had a bad day, that's all."

Harry didn't believe her, but pushed it from his mind. Ginny wasn't an issue for him anymore.


	19. A Friend's Advice

On Friday afternoon, after the last lesson had let out, Ron and Harry made their way out to the Quidditch Pitch. Harry had his Firebolt draped over his shoulder, while Ron held his Cleansweep in his right hand. When they reached the field, they saw twenty plus students waiting for them. Harry scanned the field and saw a face that shouldn't be there, but was more than welcome.

"Wood!"

Oliver Wood was a former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team in Harry's first three years at Hogwarts. Since he had left, Wood had been playing on the reserve Quidditch team for Puddlemore United. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Wood looked around the pitch. "I heard you were holding tryouts for a new team. Thought I might stop in and see if I could be of help, if you want it, of course."

Harry nodded. "Of course, I love to have you help pick a new team." He lowered his voice a bit. "To tell you the truth, I was a little nervous about this."

"Don't worry, Harry," Wood said, in an equally low voice. "I'll give you some pointers." He and Harry started to walk among the collected students. "Is everybody here?" Wood called out.

"Here comes someone," Ron said, pointing up the field.

It was Ginny. She was carrying a sleek broom over her shoulder, and wearing a determined look on her face. "Am I too late for the tryouts?" she asked in a stern tone.

"No," Ron answered, stepping back from his sister. "We were just about to start."

Harry ran his eyes over Ginny. There was something different about her today. She looked focused and determined. He turned away from her. "All right. If you're trying out for chaser, I want you to gather over here." He pointed to a spot behind him. About half the group split off and walked to where Harry was pointing; Ginny was one of them. "All beaters over there." He pointed towards Ron; half the remaining students gathered around him. Seamus and Dean were among that group. "Keepers, I want over here, next to Wood." Four students joined him. "And the rest of you are with me. Now we're just missing one person…ah, here she comes."

Katie Bell was running down the field. "Sorry, I'm late. Professor McGonagall kept us a bit long." She bent over to catch her breath, then straightened up and saw Wood. She went over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I didn't know that you were going to be here."

"I wasn't supposed to," he replied. "But a letter from Professor Dumbledore convinced me that a visit might be worthwhile."

Katie broke off from him and joined the chaser group. Harry addressed the whole Quidditch pitch. "Now each group is going to be put through the paces that will be expected of you in a Quidditch match. We will be picking a few students for each open spot, which are three chasers and two beaters. Ron Weasley and myself currently fill the keeper and seeker positions. We will, however, be choosing reserves for those positions as well. For those of you that are not picked for the main team, you will still be expected to show up for practices and matches. We will do our best to rotate you in, but if you don't get to play this year, don't worry. We are also training a team to take over next year and the year after that. As other players leave the school, you will get moved up. Also, you'll get the benefits of years of practice."

The four groups broke away from each other. Harry took the seeker group off the side of the stands. "All right, being a seeker is simple, yet it can be the most difficult position on the team. He pulled a small golden orb from his pocket. Turning it over on his hand, it sprouted wings and started fluttering them. Harry kept a firm grip on it. "Now I'm sure that you all know the basic rules of Quidditch, so I'm going to release this snitch and I want to see how you all fly while trying to catch it. The trick is that it will probably fly in between the other groups of students. This is common in a match since the snitch will fly over the entire pitch. Just fly your best and watch where you're going." 

He released the snitch, and it flew into the air. "Mount your brooms." Harry and the three young students got onto their brooms and soared into the air. When they had risen forty feet into the air, he pointed to one of the candidates. "Maria, you're first." She was a second year girl with short brown hair. Gripping her broom tightly, she flew away from the group and started looking for the snitch.

She circled the pitch for a couple of minutes before catching sight of the small object near the ground. Maria dove towards the grass at a great speed. The snitch took off into the air; Maria pulled from her dive to follow. The snitch flew into Ron's group of beaters, forcing Maria to make a choice whether she wanted to fly around the group of between them. She chose the second option and zipped between Seamus and a third year boy, both of which were caught off guard and stumbled on their brooms. She caught the snitch a moment later.

Harry blew a whistle he had had around his neck and Maria flew back over to him. "Great work, Maria. Excellent choice to flew through the beaters." He turned to address the other two. "In a match, the seeker has to watch out for the other players. More than once, I've had to fly close to someone else. All right, Terrence is next." A fourth year blonde, he took off after the newly released snitch.

Terrence showed remarkable talent at sharp turns and straight shots of speed. He stayed near the snitch for the better part of seven minutes before finally catching it. Finally, a second year boy with brown hair, Trey, took his turn. He had the most difficult run of the three candidates. He saw the snitch early on in his run, but couldn't keep up with it. It kept zipping just out of reach of his hand and changing directions too quickly. This continued for ten minutes before he managed to turn in the same direction as the snitch, giving himself enough momentum to catch it. 

Harry told the three seeker candidates to wait in the stands while he checked on the other groups. Ron had just finished working with his group when Harry flew over. The Quidditch keeper sent his group to join Harry's in the stands. "How did everything go, Ron?"

"They could all be great beaters," Ron answered. "Some might even be as good as Fred and George." Katie and Oliver soon finished with their groups and they all gathered in the stands. 

Harry addressed all the students. "Thank you all for trying out today. We should have a decision by the end of the weekend." The students left the pitch. Harry turned to Oliver. "Thanks a lot, Wood. I was afraid I'd have to double up on a few groups. Do you think you can write down who you think would make a good reserve keeper before you leave?" Wood nodded. "And you, Katie," Harry continued. "I know you'd rather be playing Quidditch then training, but I do appreciate your help also." Katie smiled at him.

The four of them started to walk back up to the castle, when Ron pulled him back towards the pitch. "We'll catch up with the two of you later. I need to talk to Harry for a moment." They waved as they continued up the field. Ron and Harry walked off to the Gryffindor locker room.

"What is it, Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron looked straight at him. "What is wrong with you?"

Harry looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Ron sat him down. "I mean, what is wrong with you? Ever since you started seeing Cho, you haven't been yourself. You've been spending your free time with her and staying out late a few nights."

"What's wrong with that?"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing, except that I thought the two of you stopped speaking to each other last year. When you told me she wanted to start seeing you again, I thought I had a hearing problem or that you were insane. She was horrible to you, trying to make you jealous and always sticking up for the traitor friend of hers, Marietta."

Harry had expected this sooner or later. Without Hermione to keep him in check, Ron was free to say what ever he wanted, which was usually something that hadn't been thought through. "I know. I know that we had our problems last year, but she wants to try again, and quite frankly, so do I." He took a deep breath. "Listen, you know that I've been alone for a long time. You and Hermione have been the best friends I could have asked for, but there are some things that the two of you can't give me. Cho is the something that has been missing in my life."

Ron shook his head. "I knew that you would eventually fall for someone, mate, but why did it have to be her? I kind of hoped that it would be…" His voice trailed off. 

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Never mind," Ron answered. "Harry, I just hope you made the right decision." 

Ron's words kept Harry in the common room late that night, as he glanced over the reports about the Quidditch tryouts. It was his own fears voiced by his best friend. He did care for Cho quite a bit, even more so then he had last year. He was, though, having more and more thoughts about Ginny. It was going to be even harder to keep her off his mind when he made the decision to make her a starting chaser. 

Writing down the last name on the parchment, he set his quill down and leaned back into his armchair. Kevin had said if he wanted to make one relationship work, he had to forget about the other girl. What Harry had not asked, though, was how did he choose which relationship to pursue. He had thought Kevin was talking about Cho, since that was whom he was seeing at the moment, but what if he had meant something else? Had he known that he had feelings for Ginny? Did he mean that he should try to form a relationship with the young Gryffindor?

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Why did this have to be so hard for him? He wanted to keep seeing Cho, but he couldn't forget about Ginny. He wanted to spend as much time with Cho, but Ginny kept invading his mind. He was supposed to forget about one of them and concentrate on the other.

It was something he just couldn't do.

"Harry?"

A voice from behind him stirred his thoughts. He put his glasses back on and saw Ginny standing at the bottom of the stairs to the girl's dormitory. She was wearing her nightdress and gown, which Harry couldn't take his eyes off of. She walked over to the armchair across from him and sat down. "Have you finished making out the new Quidditch team?"

He passed over the parchment he had been working on. She looked it over. "You made me a starting chaser," she said, with a smile. "Thank you. Oh, and Dean Thomas got the beater spot. Good choice."

At the mention of his name, Harry understood why he should forget about Ginny. She and Dean were together. It wasn't right that he should torture himself about her, when it was clear that she couldn't feel the same way. She passed the parchment back to him. "When do you think practices will start?

"Probably next week," Harry replied. "This year we're going to try a different practice regimen since we have enough people to have two teams." He got up and pinned the parchment to the Gryffindor message board. "I hope that we're up to it."

Ginny stood up and stood behind him. "We'll be fine, Harry. Don't worry about it."

Harry didn't realize she was so close. When he turned around, he was almost face to face with her. They stood there for a moment, looking into each other's eyes before Harry turned away. "I should get some sleep. Ron and I are going to work out strategies tomorrow. Goodnight, Ginny."

He left the common room so fast he did not hear her respond. 

"Goodnight, Harry."


	20. Revisiting Past Decisions

After the first week of classes, Hogwarts seemed like a completely different place. The teachers had finished with the easy work they had been giving at the start of term and were now diving into the hard stuff. Each course load seemed to have doubled, much to the disappointment of the students. The common room was often packed with students working on class assignments until the late hours of the night.

This made things hard on Harry. He and Ron had been hoping to have some time to work on a number of different Quidditch strategies, but this was not to happen. In addition to a number of essays from Potions, History of Magic, and Muggle History, they also had some practical work to do for Charms, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Kevin was working them hard on defensive spells and wanted them to be able to block most kinds of spells by Halloween.

Halloween was another concern for the students. The first ball of the year was approaching and Harry could already see signs that the school was pairing off. The first and second years had the most problems with the coming event. Harry doubted he would be seeing many of them at the ball. Of course, he had his own problems to handle.

Quidditch practice had started and Harry was having a time training the new teammates to work with one another. Dean and Seamus were excellent beaters, but had to control themselves when hitting a bludger. Twice they knocked Maria off her broom and she had spent a night in the hospital wing. Ginny seemed to take to the chaser position easily. She scored goal after goal against Ron, who had improved himself since last year. He could handle himself in a match, but Ginny had a way of getting to him, which caused him to lose his concentration. Harry talked with him extensively about that.

The main thing that Harry had not had time for was Cho. He had only been out with her twice since their first date in the Room of Requirement, which gave him time to think. He didn't hold any hopes of forging a relationship with Ginny, but he did reflect on his true feelings for Cho. He had been wondering about the true reason she had come back to him. Truth be told, he couldn't come up with one reason that he believed. When he couldn't think anymore, he went to the only person he thought could help him.

Harry stood outside the door to Kevin's office. Gently pushing it open, he saw the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher sitting at his desk, a stack of papers to the side of him. He looked up at Harry. "What's up, Harry?"

Harry sat down. "I have to ask you something. It's about Cho."

Kevin set his quill down and put the papers into a drawer. "What about her?"

Harry took a deep breath. "When we talked last, you said I should choose one girl and see where it went from there. I tried that, but I keep thinking about someone else all the time."

"Who else are you thinking about?"

Harry looked down at the floor. "Ginny Weasley."

Kevin nodded his head slowly. "Ah, I see. So you picked the girl who was most convenient and not the one you had the stronger feelings for. Tell me this Harry, when did you start liking Cho?"

"I met her in my third year and, well I guess I started liking her in my fourth year," Harry answered.

"And when did you start liking Ginny?"

"I don't know." He honestly couldn't figure out when it was he started having feelings for the young Weasley girl. "I've known her for years, but always thought of her as a friend."

Kevin slapped his hand on his desk, causing Harry to jump in his seat. "Remember how Sara and I became a couple? It was the same with your parents. Even though your mother had her reservations about James, she still was a friend before she was anything else. I'm not saying that maybe Cho isn't the one for you, but maybe you need to take a different approach from what I told you. Spend some time with Ginny and see how it feels."

Harry shook his head. "That's a little hard. She's going out with Dean Thomas."

Kevin looked confused. "Really. Never saw that coming. Well, it doesn't matter. Harry, I saw the way you two looked at each other when I brought you to the manor. I saw something, and so did you. Now I definitely am not telling you to do anything that will hurt either of them, but tell me this. Has Ginny expressed any interest in you?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. He knew that there were times she was alone with him, but didn't think too much of it.

Kevin stood up, walked over to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, I can only tell you this. Talk to her."

Harry tried his best to take his friend's advice, but Ginny did not make it easy. At mealtimes, she was sitting with her own friends, preventing Harry from getting a moment alone with her. During Quidditch practice, she was all business and would not give him a moment to talk. Any other time, she was either studying or going up to her room.

This night, though, he didn't concern himself with her. Instead, he focused on another person who wanted his attention. He and Cho were sitting out on the Quidditch pitch together. They were sprawled out on the grass, looking at the stars. They had been lying there for a few minutes before Harry spoke. "How have you been doing in your classes?"

Cho shrugged. "All right, I guess. It's hard to balance Quidditch and all the work, but I'm doing ok." Her voice seemed distant.

Harry rolled over on his side to look at her. "Are you ok?"

Cho didn't look back at him. "I'm fine. I've just been thinking lately."

"About what?"

"You," she replied. "Me, us. I don't know."

Harry reached over and took her hand. "Cho, can you tell me why you wanted to get back together with me?"

She looked into his eyes. "Because I care about you, Harry."

"Then why did you break up with me last year?"

"Because I was confused. After what happened with Marietta and all the rows we had, I thought that I had made a mistake. Then I tried dating that whining prat Michael Corner, but he just infuriated me. Then, after the Death Eater attack…oh Harry, I just didn't want to be alone anymore." She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He didn't want to see her like this. He wanted her to be happy, but he wasn't sure if he was the person who could make her happy. They sat there on the pitch holding each other until the night air told them it was time to go back inside.

The morning of Halloween was upon them. The castle became a buzz of activity as the students eagerly anticipated the start of the ball. Since Halloween fell on a Wednesday, classes were stopped an hour earlier so that the students would have time to prepare for the ball. 

Harry's last class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, a class which Kevin was showing no chance of letting up on the students, despite the day. When the bell finally rang, the students filed out of the room. Kevin stopped Harry before he left. "Have you made a decision?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "I have."


	21. Halloween Ball

Harry made his way from the Gryffindor tower towards the Great Hall. He was dressed in his forest green dress robes, picked out for him by Mrs. Weasley. As he walked down the great stone stairs, he kept his eye out for Cho. He wasn't sure what kind of robes she would be wearing, so it was a bit hard for him to pick her out from the multitude of students gathered outside the Hall.

He soon found her with a group of Ravenclaw girls. She was wearing black dress robes, lined with midnight blue fabric. She saw him approach, smiled at him, and then turned back to her friends. Harry frowned. He saw something different in her eyes when she looked at him.

The doors to the Great Hall opened, allowing the group of students' entry. Harry took Cho's arm and led her into the newly decorated hall. The room was draped with banners of every color hanging from the ceiling and along the walls. Candles and torches lit the hall and gave off an ambiance that seemed to make this room inviting. The students dispersed and went to find a seat at one of the many tables that had been placed along the floor; the four house tables had been removed to make space for what was surely to be an extraordinary evening. He and Cho sat at a table with Marietta and her partner, Roger Davies. The tables were set for eight people, so Harry kept an eye out for Ron, Hermione and their partners.

Cho and Marietta got up from the table, told the boys they would be right back, and went off on their own. Harry took a moment to talk with Roger. "How are your N.E.W.T classes going, Roger?"

The Ravenclaw lowered his head and shook it. "If at all possible, Harry, stay in sixth year. It will only get worse."

Harry chuckled. "Is it that bad?"

Roger looked up. "I thought O.W.L.s were bad. These bloody exams are months away, and yet I feel that they could sneak up and suffocate me any minute. The professors are loading us with work; I don't think I've gotten more than four hours of sleep a night." He leaned back in his chair. "If it weren't for these little distractions, I think I would go mad."

"Aren't you still playing Quidditch?"

Roger nodded. "Yeah, I am, but I've given up my captain duties to Cho. She's earned a run as captain."

The girls soon returned to much fuller table then when they left. Ron and his partner, Luna Lovegood, had joined them. Soon after them, Hermione and Seamus made themselves known as the torches suddenly dimmed. A platform raised itself in the center of the hall. A selection of instruments appeared on the stage: an electric guitar, a drum set, a bass guitar and a keyboard. Four people walked through the great doors and up to the stage. Each taking an instrument, they started playing an upbeat tune. The room started to feel different as the music coasted across the air. Harry began to feel himself sway to the tune. The rest of the hall seemed to be feeling the same.

Soon, the open floor around the band was filled with couples of students dancing. Harry took Cho's hand and led her to the dance floor. Putting a hand around her waist, they started swaying together to the music. He looked into her eyes as they danced and saw that something had definitely changed in the way she looked back at him. He could still see a caring person in those eyes, but there was defiance in them.

The music ended and the students went back to their tables. They empty plates were filled with food and the goblets with drink. The eight students began to eat happily and talked with one another. Roger and Cho talked with Harry, Ron and Seamus about the upcoming Quidditch season while Hermione and Marietta talked about their roles as prefect and Head Girl. Hermione was interested that Marietta was going into the Ministry of Magic after leaving Hogwarts. Luna listened to the conversations, but seemed to be in a world of her own.

Harry leaned in close to Ron. "What made you bring Lovegood?" he asked.

Ron shrugged. "Actually, she brought me. I was talking with Hermione about the ball and she just came over and asked me out. What could I say?"

Harry chuckled. He reached for the pitcher of pumpkin juice that had been set in the middle, but found it was empty. "House-Elves must be off their form tonight."

Hermione gave him a scornful look. "They might do their work better if they got paid, and had holidays."

Ron shook his head. "Hermione has a thing for House-Elves."

"Then you should think of a career in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Marietta said. "If you're going to do anything about the treatment of House-Elves, that would be the place to do it."

Ron groaned. "Thanks, Edgecombe. Give her something else to obsess over for the next two years." Luna leaned over and placed her head on Ron's shoulder.

Harry enjoyed watching his friends bicker back and forth, as long as he knew it was nothing serious. While each student ate, the band continued to play song after song. Harry had never heard this music before and he wondered if it could be another wizard group like the Weird Sisters, who had played at the Yule Ball two years ago.

When the food was gone, the tables were emptied as the students began dancing again. Harry kept a close watch on Ron and Luna, in case his friend needed rescuing from the odd Ravenclaw girl. Ron seemed to be able to hold his own.

As they danced, Harry began to notice, for the first time actually, the Hogwarts professors spread out among the floor. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore soon got into the spirit of the evening and could be seen dancing to the beat. He saw Kevin and Sara soon take to the floor and hold each other closely. Cho's gaze soon followed Harry's. "They look sweet together, don't they?"

Harry nodded. When the music died down, he took Cho's hand and they walked off to the side. Walking in silence, they soon found themselves just outside the Great Hall. The music could still be heard, but was at a lower volume. They stood next to the railing, looking out over the entryway. Cho held onto Harry's hand. "Harry, do you think you and I will be as happy as Kevin and Sara?"

He squeezed her hand. "Of course we will."

"With each other?"

This was what Harry had been waiting for. "You've been feeling the same way, haven't you?"

Cho nodded. "I didn't think I would. I thought that once we were together, nothing could pull us apart. We seemd to be in love with each other. All the time we spent with one another, the feelings we shared told me that we belonged together."

"So what changed?"

"I think I did," she answered. "Harry, you've always been strong, which was what attracted me to you in the first place. After Cedric was killed, I needed someone who could help me through it, someone who understood. That was you, and I already felt strongly for you. It made sense, but then we started fighting. I thought that I had made a wrong choice." she placed her other hand on his. "Then, after the attacks during the summer, I started having those same feelings again because…" a tear slipped down her face.

Harry raised his free hand and wiped it away. "Because what?"

"Because one of the Aurors that was protecting us died," she answered, more tears streaming from her face. "He was my brother." She leaned in and laid her head on his chest.

Harry put his hand on the back of her head and ran it through her hair. It all made sense now. Cho needed someone to be with her when she was sad. "I'm sorry, Cho."

She pulled her head up and looked in his eyes. "Thank you, Harry. I'm sorry if I'm making you feel like a crutch, but I really did feel love for you."

"It was just love for a friend, wasn't it?" Cho nodded. "I've felt that love for a long time, and I knew that was what it was becoming between us."

An upbeat tune started playing from inside the hall. He heard someone singing.

_On this day  
I see clearly  
Everything has come to life  
A bitter place and a broken dream  
And we'll leave it all behind  
On this day  
It's so real to me  
Everything has come to life  
Another chance to chase a dream  
Another chance to feel  
Chance to feel alive_

The words reached Harry's ears. They sparked something in the back of his mind. "Cho, listen to me." He placed a hand on her chin and held her gaze in his. "When you came back to me, it was the one of the happiest times of my life. What neither of us knew at the time was that we aren't meant to be together. We just enjoy it." He leaned in close to her. "You're stronger now, Cho. I've seen it in your eyes. You've felt it, too. That's why you're feeling for me have changed, because you don't need a crutch anymore. You don't need someone to hold you up. You need someone to love." He pressed his lips to hers for a moment, and then pulled back. "And you know that person isn't me."

Cho was silent for only a moment. "Yes, I do know." She leaned in and hugged him. "You are the greatest person I could ever call my friend, Harry. Thank you for helping me see that I can do this myself." She let go of him, smiled and walked away.

Harry stood by the railing for a moment. He felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Now he could concentrate on someone else.

"Nicely done, Potter."

Harry turned quickly and saw an unfamiliar wizard standing behind him. "Who are you?" he asked, annoyed that someone was listening in on his private conversation.

"Please, forgive me, Mr. Potter," the wizard said. His dark blue eyes showed his sincerity to Harry. He ran a hand through his slick black hair before continuing. "I am Griff, a Ministry wizard sent to protect the school. I was patrolling the halls when I noticed you and your friend at the top of the stairs. I did not want to disturb you. I am sorry if I caused you embarrassment."

Harry didn't like the idea that someone had just heard him bear his heart to Cho, but didn't feel that this wizard meant to be rude. "I would have felt more embarrassed if it had been someone I knew instead. It's all right." It really wasn't, but Harry didn't want to pick a fight with a Ministry wizard.

He left the railing and went back inside the Great Hall. Ron was sitting at their table, looking very exhausted. Harry took the chair next to him. "Luna showing you a good time?" he asked.

Ron used whatever energy he had left to give Harry a murderous look. "I am never dancing again."

"Thought you hated dancing in the first place." Harry filled a glass with some pumpkin juice; the jug had been filled since the last time he had seen it.

"I do," Ron answered. "She doesn't take no for an answer." He leaned down and started rubbing his foot. "Where's Cho? Did she run off with Marietta again?"

Harry shook his head. "Probably went back to the Ravenclaw common room."

"How come? Don't tell me you two had another row."

"No," he said. "We just decided not to see each other anymore."

Ron sat back up, quickly. "Really? I knew she was no good for you." Harry reached across and slapped the side of Ron's head. "What was that for?"

"It wasn't that she was no good for me, but that we were no good for each other. It was mutual, so let it go." Harry took a long drink. Luna came over to the table soon after and dragged Ron away for another dance. Harry had a good time watching Luna dance while Ron flopped around on his feet. He got up and started walking around the hall. Every student he passed seemed to have a smile on his or her face. There were students he had seen losing their minds just last night, laughing and forgetting all the pressures of school tonight.

"It was a good idea, wasn't it?"

Harry turned around and saw Kevin and Sara leaning against a wall. "What was?"

Kevin waved his hand around the hall. "This ball. It was designed to take everyone's mind off the pressures of school, and it looks like it worked. Having a good time?"

Harry shrugged. "Pretty good, I guess. Just met the weirdest Ministry wizard. Some prat named Griff."

Kevin's smile vanished from his face. "Did you say 'Griff'?" Harry nodded. Kevin leaned in close to Sara, said something in a whisper and walked off.

"Is everything ok?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Sara said, though her voice was shaking. "Griff just isn't someone we expected to be here. He and Kevin aren't on good terms." She composed herself. "But that shouldn't concern either of us. How are you and Cho getting along?"

"Well enough, since we broke up anyway," he said, with a smile.

"Oh, that's too bad," Sara answered. "I hate to see any relationship end."

Harry shook his head. "It's not so bad. Hey, have you seen Ginny?"

Sara craned her neck to see around the hall. "Can't say I have. Do you know who she came with?"

"Probably Dean Thomas."

Sara pointed at a clump of students. "I see him over there, but he doesn't have his arm around Ginny."

Harry headed in the direction she was pointing. It was just as she had said. Dean was talking with a group of students, but was keeping very close to Padma Patil, the sister of fellow Gryffindor Parvati Patil. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was it possible that Dean and Ginny had broken up, as he and Cho had? Or was it possible that he had been wrong about their relationship all along?

Ginny Weasley threw the covers off of herself. She was tired of feeling sorry for herself. She wasn't going to continue living each day fearing that she would run into Harry and Cho in some romantic embrace. She was going to speak with Harry directly and make him realize her feelings for him.

For the past couple of weeks, Ginny had been talking with a few Ravenclaw girls her own age. From what she had heard, it was entirely possible that Cho would not be with Harry past tonight. If Ginny was going to make anything happen, it would have to be tonight. Putting on her new dress robes, she made her way down to the Great Hall. The ball had already been going on for an hour or so, but that didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was finding Harry.

She bounded down the stone steps thinking only that her life would be changed after tonight, but stopped as she rounded a corner. She was looking directly at the doors to the Great Hall, and saw two people just outside of them. Harry and Cho were standing by the stone railing, holding each other very closely. She didn't know why, but Ginny's legs would not move.

When it seemed that this night could not get any worse, she saw Harry raise Cho's face to his and kiss her deeply. Ginny could feel heat in her face as she watched the drama unfold in front of her. Her earlier conviction forgotten, she raced back up the stairs to Gryffindor tower. She threw herself onto her bed, but did not start crying or feeling sorry for herself.

Instead, she was angry, angry to enough to think, _Fine, if the two of them want to have each other, they can keep each other. I've had it with him and my feelings controlling my life. Damn you, Harry Potter._


	22. Declaration

Classes were cancelled the day after the Halloween Ball. Whether this was planned or not, Harry wasn't sure. Professor Dumbledore made an announcement at the end of the night, much to the enjoyment of the students. After the ball was over, Harry went back up to Gryffindor tower and tried to talk with Ginny. She was not in the common room so Hermione volunteered to fetch her. A moment later, she had come back down saying Ginny was already asleep. Harry was noticeably disappointed, but Hermione reminded him that he had the whole day tomorrow to speak with her.

He waited in the dormitory for Ron. His red-haired friend was taking Luna back to the Ravenclaw common room. Harry had just finished changing into his pajamas when Ron came stumbling through the door. "Never again," he said. "I will never…do that…again." He fell onto his own four-poster bed.

Harry had to suppress a laugh. "Was it that bad?"

Ron looked up at him, horror in his eyes. He changed out of his dress robes and climbed in to his bed. "Hey Harry, are we still having Quidditch practice tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "Our first match is in two weeks. We need the practice."

Quidditch practice was thrown into question as the Gryffindors made their way down to the common room in the morning. A notice was pinned to the message board:

_**Notice to all students:**__  
Until further notice, all students are to  
remain in their dormitories. No students  
are to leave until notified by your Head of House._

Harry and Ron stared at the notice with confusion. "What is this about, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe this is why classes were cancelled. They knew we'd have to stay in our dormitories for some reason."

"Actually, that's not the reason," Hermione said from behind them. The guys turned to face her. "Before I came back to Gryffindor tower, I over heard Professor Hall talking with Professor Dumbledore. He sounded really upset about something."

"Since when do you start calling Kevin "Professor"? Harry asked.

Hermione tilted her head. "It's a title of respect. I don't think it would be appropriate to go around the castle calling Kevin and Sara by their first names."

Ron leaned in close to Harry. "Talking to Marietta last night got her really thinking about becoming Head Girl next year. She's going to try impressing the teacher." Harry chuckled.

Hermione heard what Ron said and scoffed at him. "Well at least I am looking forward to my future. In fact, I am going to see Professor McGonagall next week about applying for a job in the Ministry of Magic when I leave school." She walked over to an armchair where her bag was placed, picked a rather large book from it and started reading.

Ron and Harry walked over to a windowsill and looked out. The day was bright and beautiful. A cool breeze was blowing across the grass, heralding winter into the country. It was a perfect day to celebrate having no classes, but the whole castle was confined to their towers. Breakfast was soon delivered up to them and the students ate in angry silence. No one knew just why they had to stay inside, though that didn't keep them from speculating.

A few second years had the idea that it was a test to see who would be best to be a prefect later in their years. Whoever followed the rules would be considered, whoever didn't would be out of the running. Hermione, who stated that the teachers would never do something like that, dismissed this idea quickly. 

Seamus and Dean were put off by the confinement, especially since it happened after such an amazing night. Ron made an attempt to ask Seamus if he would keep asking Hermione out after the Halloween Ball. Seamus smiled slyly, but said he probably wouldn't. Harry noticed that Ron seemed to relax after he heard this.

The confinement continued into the afternoon. The whole of Gryffindor tower was starting to become restless. It would almost be better if classes had resumed, at least they would be able to leave. Harry had desperately wanted to use this time that the tower would probably be empty to talk with Ginny, but he knew better then to try and get a private moment in the crowded common room. It was also difficult since Ginny had not been seen all morning. She had stayed in the girl's dormitory, not even coming down for breakfast or lunch. Hermione became worried and took some food up to her.

She came back down an hour later, looking hurt and confused. Grabbing Harry's arm, she dragged him back up to his room. Neville Longbottom was still in there, but quickly left after a stiff word from Hermione. Harry was pushed back onto his bed. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"I thought you told me that you and Cho weren't seeing each other anymore," she answered. There was anger in her voice.

"I did," he said. "And we aren't. What's going on? Is something wrong with Ginny?"

"Yes Harry, there is, and you are the only one who can fix it."

Despite his pleading, Hermione would not elaborate on what she meant. Professor McGonagall came into Gryffindor tower in the mid-afternoon to tell the students that they were free to leave. When asked why they had to stay in all day, she simply told them that it was none of their concern. Harry quickly made his rounds to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, telling them that practice was after dinner. He asked Hermione if she would tell Ginny.

The castle was a buzz of students asking one another if they had any clue why they were locked up. No one could tell anyone anything. The Slytherins kept bragging that they had been let out of their common room hours ago and were enjoying the freedom of having the castle to themselves. No one believed them for an instant.

The students expected some kind of explanation from Professor Dumbledore at dinner, but he had none to offer. The students were not pleased with their headmaster that night.

After dinner ended, Harry led the Quidditch team down to the pitch. He and Ron had spent the morning going over strategies they wanted to work on. With the first match of the Quidditch season approaching, Harry wanted his team in top form. He put them through a rigorous training session, making sure to alternate the reserves in so they could get use to the maneuvers as well. The sun finally went down and Harry ended practice. He felt good as he watched his team walk back up to the castle, except he noticed someone was missing.

Ginny was still in the locker room. Harry took this moment to speak with her. "Ginny, you got a moment?"

She seemed startled to see him. "Not really," she answered, quickly. "I have to get back up and finish some homework." She started to run out of the locker room, but Harry grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Ginny, please. I want to talk with you." He pleaded her with his eyes. "For just a moment?"

She didn't struggle as he led her to a bench and sat down. "Is everything all right? It seems like you're upset with me about something."

Ginny brushed her hair back and looked up at him. "Why would I be upset? Do I have anything to be upset about?"

"I don't know."

"Well then I guess there's nothing to talk about then, is there?"

She got up to leave but Harry grabbed her arm again. "Ginny, stop. I'm trying to tell you something."

Her eyes seemed to ice over. "I've heard all I want to hear from you, Harry Potter. There was a time when a simple word from you would make my legs crumble. I've grown out of that. I would have dedicated myself to you at a word's mention, but you never saw me as anything but Ron's little sister. Well I am tired of letting my feelings for you take over my life. I am through."

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "But Ginny, I'm trying to tell you that I care for you, too."

Ginny laughed. "Oh really. So I guess I was imagining it when I saw you and Cho practically inhaling one another last night."

It made sense to Harry now. Ginny had seen the way he and Cho had been acting towards one another. "That was the last time that will happen. She and I ended it. I can concentrate on you now."

"Oh, so I'm second place, am I?" Ginny said. "Well, no thank you. I have better things to do then be someone's conciliation prize." She didn't let him stop her this time. She stormed out of the tent and walked back towards the castle.

Harry sat in the locker room, head in his hands. _Where did I go wrong?_ he thought to himself. _I thought that if I told her how I felt she would feel the same way. It's obvious that she either lied about going out with Dean, or she stopped seeing him. But why is she so mad at me, just because I went out with Cho for a while?_

As Harry walked up to the castle, he kept muttering the answer over and over to himself, all the while berating himself for not seeing it sooner. Ginny was mad at him because he had chosen Cho first, and he had said as much to her.


	23. Hermione's Memory

Harry did not even notice that the weekend had gone by and he was starting a new school week. After his "talk" with Ginny, he had not had much interest in anything. He had decided to take his mind off of her by throwing himself into his schoolwork. Hermione was beaming at him every night that he had outlasted her studying in the common room.

Monday was upon the students and Harry was set for anything that would take his mind off of what Ginny had said to him. It cut his heart each time he remembered it. She had said he had picked her second, but the truth was that she hadn't even been an issue at the time. He was glad he hadn't voiced that thought, because she probably would have taken his Firebolt and put it somewhere uncomfortable.

He sat in his potions class, doing everything he could to keep his mind occupied. Kevin had started the class working on a potion that would heighten eyesight on the person who took it. This potion required concentration and attention to detail, two things Harry had in abundance at the moment. Kevin was walking among the students, looking over student's shoulders. The Slytherins avoided his eyes at all costs since none of them wanted to admit they needed help, but a few of them did. Vincent Crabbe had mixed up two instructions and his potion started freezing over. Draco Malfoy did his best to whisper instructions without being heard.

It was not successful.

Kevin walked over to where the Slytherin students were whispering. "Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe?" They turned back to their cauldrons and pretended to be working. Kevin was not fooled when he saw Crabbe's potion. "I see that you have misinterpreted my instructions, Mr. Crabbe. You were to add only a third of the eagle blood that you actually added. When you mix that with snakeskin you caused a catalyst effect that befalls anyone who takes this potion when it is mixed improperly. It causes a freezing effect that, if it happened inside a human body, would cause the eyes to freeze. Be glad that this happened now and not when you all will sample the potion." He waved his wand over Crabbe's cauldron and the potion disappeared. "Start from the beginning again."

The final bell rang and the students filed out of the dungeon. Kevin asked Hermione to stay behind for a moment. Ron and Harry started back towards Gryffindor tower. The first Quidditch match of the season was at the end of this week, which caused a great deal of tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin; well, more so then usual. Harry had been trying to catch a glimpse of the Slytherin practice, but they never seemed to be on the Quidditch pitch. Harry was starting to wonder if the Slytherin team ever did practice. 

Hermione didn't return until dinnertime. Kevin had told her that he would soon be teaching them about experimental curses and was wondering if Hermione would mind being used as an example, given what happened to her in the Department of Mysteries. She had agreed, but was left with the feeling that he had expected some questions from her. Hermione told him that she had put it behind her.

Ginny was still avoiding Harry at all costs. She didn't hang around in the common room if he was there. During the extra Quidditch practices that Harry had called for, she kept her distance from him and only talked to him when he was talking strategy. The team was coming together quite well. The Chasers worked as one unit with the quaffle, passing it over and under the opposing groups of reserve players who tried to block them. Dean and Seamus took to the Beater position well, keeping the bludgers away from the chasers. Harry and Ron still had their own personal skills in the Seeker and Keeper positions, so he wasn't worried there. Ron had improved a great deal over last year, when he had a problem stopping a single Quaffle in a match. 

When the practice ended, Ginny was the first to leave and head back up to the castle. Harry was the last.

"Experimental spells are some of the most dangerous and lethal curses known to our kind," Kevin said, addressing his class. "They require a great deal of skill and power to conjure and can be difficult to control. However, if done properly, it can be a powerful spell, and probably deadly." The class sat silent as they listened to their professor speak. He walked over to a cabinet, opened it up and pulled a stone basin from it.

The class leaned in to get a closer look at the object. Harry knew what it was, he had seen it twice before. "This is called a Pensieve. Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to lend me this for a demonstration about experimental spells and curses. Ms. Granger, if you would come forward?"

Hermione stood up and walked to the front of the room. Kevin conjured a chair for her to sit in near the Pensieve. He placed his wand on her right temple. When he pulled it away, a strand of gray smoke trailed the wand. He placed it in the Pensieve. Using his wand, he swirled the strand around inside. "Everyone pay close attention."

Smoke started wafting up from inside the Pensieve. The center of it started to clear up and images could be seen forming inside. A dark room could be seen inside the smoke with walls made of stone. People were running around in the room. Harry knew this scene and it made his stomach drop. This was the Department of Mysteries at the start of the summer. He knew what was about to happen, and he shut his eyes. A cloaked figure suddenly filled a large portion of the smoke, raised his wand and shouted an incantation at another figure. A light erupted from his wand, causing the other figure to scream in pain.

Harry's eyes shot open. It was Hermione who had been hit with that spell, but he didn't remember her screaming. The class gasped in alarm and a few of them screamed in surprise. Hermione's figure in the Pensieve collapsed to the floor. The smoke fell back to the Pensieve. The class was shocked at what they had just seen. No student at Hogwarts knew exactly what had happened in the Department of Mysteries, so this was completely new information to them. All eyes fell on Hermione, who seemed to have gone white at having to relive that horrible moment. Kevin swirled the Pensieve again. "What you have all just seen is Hermione's memory of being cursed by an experimental spell, from her point of view and her internal reaction. As you can see, the movement of the wand and the resulting viasable strand of light is unfamiliar. We still are unsure exactly what the effect was supposed to be." He placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. She looked as if she were about to cry. "Thank you, Hermione. If you want, you can be dismissed."

She shook her head and went back to her seat. The class looked on her with admiration and Harry could see Ron taking an extensive glance. Kevin started walking among the desks. "What we are going to start studying is the nature by which some wizards are able to cast these spells. We will focus on the specialty of the wizard, the hardships involved and the consequences if one fails to do this properly. Take out a piece of parchment."

The common room had an air of apprehension that night. News of the events of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class had quickly spread through Gryffindor tower. Everyone kept giving Hermione odd glances, but no one said anything to her. As she sat in the common room with Ron and Harry, her eyes kept glazing over. Ginny, forgetting for the moment her dislike for Harry, came down from the girl's dormitory to sit with her.

After a while of this, Hermione stood up suddenly. "Excuse me. I have to go see Professor Hall." She walked quickly out of the portrait hole into the corridor. The remaining three sat in silence as they waited for her to return.

Finally, Ginny spoke. "I can't believe he made her relive that experience. How cruel."

"It was her choice," Harry said, not looking at Ginny. "She didn't have to do it."

An hour later, Hermione returned to the tower in tears. Ginny rushed to her. "Are you all right? What happened?" She led the other girl to the sofa and sat down. Ron and Harry stood around them. Ginny pulled a cloth handkerchief from her roes and handed it to Hermione. "Tell us what happened."

Hermione dabbed her eyes. "I went to see Professor…Kevin, and I asked him about the man who attacked me. He told me that it was Antonin Dolohov, the man from the Department of Mysteries. He also said that…" She started crying again. Ron sat on the other side of her and placed an arm around her shoulders. She leaned in to him. Ginny looked up at Harry for a moment, as if he could finish what she was about to say, then looked back at Hermione.

After a moment, Hermione continued. "He told me that…that Death Eaters take it personal when someone they mean to kill doesn't die. He tried to do it again over the summer, but I survived again. Now, he's going to do whatever he can to kill me."


	24. Quidditch

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first Quidditch match of the season!"

The stands erupted as students began cheering and shouting. The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was about to begin. Harry paced in the locker room as he waited for the announcement to come on to the field. Waiting with him were Ron, Seamus, Dean, Ginny, Veronica Robertson and Derrick Fathermere. Ginny had given up her vendetta against Harry for the moment and concentrated on the match. Harry looked over his team. "All right. This is it. I can't give any words of wisdom, no inspirational speech, but I can tell you that Slytherin has never relied on skill. As long as we remember what we've learned, they don't stand a chance." The team nodded and murmured in agreement.

After a brief announcement of the teams involved, the announcer called for the Gryffindors to come onto the field. Harry took the lead and walked to the center of the pitch. A large portion of the stands cheered wildly for them as the commentator announced their names. Afterwards, the Slytherin team walked onto the pitch, but to a mildly less volume of cheers. Harry took notice of the Slytherin team makeup. He was right in that they didn't value skill too much. Each person was large and bulky, except Malfoy. He recognized Crabbe and Goyle as the Beaters, but couldn't place the others. He guessed that the Slytherins must have also brought new people onto the team.

The commentator, who Harry finally realized it to be Colin Creevy, read the names of the Slytherin team, "And now we have the Slytherins: Goyle, Crabbe, Maragon, Taylor, Henderson, Emerson, and Malfoy."

Madam Hooch walked out in between the two teams. "Captains, shake hands." Harry stepped forward to meet Malfoy. They clasped hands harshly, and Harry could feel him trying to break his hand. He pushed back with his own strength. The two finally broke apart and walked back to their teams. "Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch said. Fourteen brooms soared into the air, as the stands cheered.

The bludgers were set free, the Snitch was let loose, and the Quaffle was thrown into the air. The match had begun. Ginny grabbed the Quaffle and took off towards the Slytherin goal posts. She soared in between the opposing chasers, all of which were too slow to catch her. She slipped past Emerson and put the Quaffle through a goal. 10-0 Gryffindor.

Slytherin was now in possession as Harry saw Maragon take the quaffle. He was a muscular boy of at least fifteen. He powered through the Gryffindor chasers and soared for the other end of the field. Seamus sent a bludger his way but he managed to dodge it. He powered his way past Ron and scored, tying the match. 

Harry now saw the Slytherin team's strategy. Maragon, Henderson and Taylor started swinging their arms at any Gryffindor that got near them. Ginny and Veronica were almost knocked off their brooms. Derrick tried to fight back, but he was a bit smaller then the other team's chasers. It seemed that Malfoy had figured that he could bully his team's way through this match, just like he thought he could bully his way through everything else. Gryffindor was granted three penalty shots and Slytherin one. Ginny took the first shot and scored with ease. Veronica tried a faint shot towards the right most goal post, but that didn't fool Emerson. He made a quick turn to his left, only to realize too late that it wasn't a faint. Veronica made the goal. When Derrick's turn came, Harry saw his right arm twitch and the Quaffle sail wide. The Slytherins in the stands cheered wildly.

Harry flew up beside him. "Derrick, are you all right?"

Derrick moved his arm a bit. "That oaf Maragon hit it when I tried to push him away. It messed up my arm a bit."

"Do we need to bring in a reserve?"

Derrick shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Give me a few minutes and I should be all right. I'll just let the girls handle the scoring for a while."

Henderson took the shot for Slytherin. He aimed for the center post, a rookie maneuver that Ron could block easily. The score was now 30-10 in favor of Gryffindor. Harry started looking around frantically for the Golden Snitch. His team had been practicing under the assumption that the Slytherins had been focusing on strategy, so they had been using counter-strategy. If the Slytherins had opted for brute strength, it was going to make things difficult. The Gryffindor chasers were not able to use their quick skills to pass the Quaffle around without one the opposing team's players moving directly in their path.

Nonetheless, the practice they had put in did pay off. Seamus and Dean did a great job using the bludgers to counter the strength of the Slytherin team. Derrick, even though his arm was a bit hurt, was able to pass the Quaffle to Ginny or Veronica, both of which widened their lead to 70-10. Malfoy started acting like a captain when he directed his team forward. However, by forward he meant for his chasers to run right over the Gryffindors. Crabbe and Goyle used their clubs for the most primal purpose and, under the pretense of swinging for a bludger, hit a part of a Gryffindor chaser. Seamus took a shot on his back, and Veronica almost fell off her broom when she ducked a bludger.

The match was fierce, but no one had made a blatant foul yet. Ron had his hands full as three large Slytherin chasers fell upon him. The score was soon 70-40. Slytherin obviously knew what they were doing. Harry saw each one of them had come dangerously close to committing a foul, but they never crossed the line. Ginny and Veronica did what they could to keep the score in their favor.

Derrick's arm got better as the match went on and he helped the girls in scoring another four goals. Slytherin's chasers continued to use their strength against their opponents, but were not able to get the Quaffle past Ron. Malfoy was starting to get annoyed. He flew in close to Crabbe, whispered something in his ear and flew off. Harry watched him closely, which was hard as he kept an eye out for the Snitch. Crabbe didn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary.

The match seemed to get worse as the minutes went by. Harry saw the Snitch out of the corner of his eye and raced towards the ground. This was the moment Crabbe had been waiting for. The stands went wild as they saw Harry dive. Malfoy himself raced in the same direction. All eyes seemed to be fixed on the two of them…all eyes except two.

Crabbe started towards a bludger and made it look like he was going to hit it at Harry. Instead though, his club was too low and his speed too great.

It hit Ginny directly in her abdomen.

A large part of the stands roared in protest at the blatant attack that had just happened. Ginny doubled over on her broomstick. Her hands grasped her midsection and her face contorted in pain. Her vision started to blur, which caused her slip off her broom. The crowd gasped as they watched her plummet to the grass below.

Acting quickly, Harry turned his broom handle around and soared underneath where she was falling. Keeping a firm grip on the handle with one hand, he reached out the other and caught her across her chest. He recoiled his arm quickly, bringing her close to himself. The stands started cheering. Harry had thought Malfoy had gotten the Snitch, but when he looked back, he saw Malfoy falling as well. He was much closer to the ground, and the impact did nothing more then knock the wind form him.

Harry saw a bludger whip past close to him. Dean Thomas was shouting something down at him. Dean had knocked a bludger at Malfoy to keep him from getting the Snitch. Harry lowered his broom to the grass below to check on Ginny. She was still doubled over and not moving much. His feet hit the ground and he gently set Ginny down. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed a bright shine. On instinct, he reached out his right hand and closed his fingers around the Golden Snitch. The crowd went wild as Colin Creevy announced, "After a daring save of his fellow teammate, Harry Potter catches the Golden Snitch and wins the match for Gryffindor!" The stands started chanting "Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

Ginny had been taken to the hospital wing immediately after the match was over. Madam Pomfrey had found three broken ribs, though she was able to mend them easily. She only asked that Ginny stay in the hospital wing for a few hours. The Gryffindor team, along with a few well wishers, stayed by her side for the whole of the time. Ron was absolutely furious at Crabbe and Malfoy for pulling something like that. Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch had each given them both detentions for a week and threatened to boot them off the Slytherin Quidditch team if anything like this happened again.

Seamus and Dean were plotting some revenge already, but Harry told them to forget about it. The last thing he needed was to lose two perfectly good Beaters. Besides, it seemed that Kevin had already taken steps to put the fear of Gryffindor into both of them. An hour after the match was over, Harry heard from Colin that both Crabbe and Malfoy were seen being chased down the corridor by Lita and Chris. Sara quickly called off the canines, but only after they had chased the two students onto a large statue of a previous headmaster.

Around dinner, Ginny was let out of the hospital wing. The team walked with her back up to Gryffindor tower. Once in the common room, Hermione helped her up to her room to change out of her Quidditch robes. Once inside, Hermione set Ginny on her bed and kneeled down in front of her. "Are you all right, Ginny?"

Ginny shook her head. "I was scared. This was just supposed to be a game. I've seen that it can get rough, but I never thought that anyone, even a Slytherin, would stoop so low as to outright attack me."

Hermione took her hand. "Well, the important thing is that Harry was there to catch you."

"Yeah, Harry," Ginny said, silently. "After the way I've been treating him, and the things I said to him…"

"He's still your friend."

Ginny changed into her school robes and walked with Hermione down to the Great Hall. Ron and Harry were already at the Gryffindor table. As the girls walked to where they were sitting, students gave Ginny words of encouragement and affectionate pats on her shoulders. She took a seat across from Harry and Hermione across from Ron.

Whatever feelings of malice she had been holding against Harry up until that moment seemed to be pushed to the back of her mind as he looked at her with concern in his eyes.


	25. A Day Of The Unexpected

The students filed out of the castle and headed for the village of Hogsmeade. It was the first weekend that students in third year and above were allowed to leave Hogwarts to visit the local village. Harry walked with Ron, Hermione and Ginny down the path, their spirits high and their smiles wide. After the initial reaction to the incident at the Quidditch match yesterday had worn off, the castle was filled with hearty cheers for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry and Ginny got the largest portion of them. People kept coming up to Ginny asking if she had gotten back at that git who had knocked her off her broom. Harry had received congratulations for his spectacular save of Ginny and his magnificent capture of the Snitch a moment later.

When they finally reached the village, they took an immediate turn towards Zonko's joke shop. Ron and Ginny made the comment that, without Fred and George around, it was up to the remaining Weasley students to cause a little ruckus at the school. Hermione tried to discourage this, but they told her they were only kidding around. Behind her back, Ron winked at Harry.

Zonko's was always filled with students eager to buy the latest joke item. Harry had a hard time moving in between the different bins, but somehow managed to make it out with a few Dungbombs, some Fizzing Whizzbees, and some trick ink that had been sent from Fred and George's shop in Diagon Alley. Whoever used this ink would have whatever they wrote down mixed up on the parchment. Ron had the idea of somehow slipping it into Malfoy's bag.

After Zonko's, they headed for Honeydukes. This sweetshop was famous for the variety of candies and chocolates. Ginny bought a large bar of chocolate in addition to some fruit flavored hard candy. Hermione discouraged buying too much since Professor Dumbledore had said last night that tonight's feast would be particularly extravagant. There was some big announcement that he was going to make.

Of course, no trip to Hogsmeade would be complete without a stop in The Three Broomsticks. The pub was more crowded then Harry had seen it in a long time. While the four of them looked around for a table, a man was waving at them from across the room. It was a Ministry wizard. He showed them to a table in a corner. "I saw the four of you looking for a place to sit," the wizard said. "Of course there was no way you could have seen the table from all the way over there."

They took seats around the table. "Thank you very much," Hermione said. "It was very kind of you to save this table for us."

The wizard bowed to them. "It was my pleasure. My name is Raven, and it was my honor to be able to help you. I must confess though, that the true reason I did this was so that I might meet the famous Harry Potter." He extended his hand to Harry. "It is a privilege to be able meet you face to face, Mr. Potter."

Harry shook Raven's hand, blushing a bit. "It's nice to meet you too."

"May I buy you all a round of drinks?" Raven asked. They nodded and he headed off towards the bar.

Harry leaned in to the others. "That makes the fourth Ministry wizard that's seemed to go out of his way to meet me."

"Who were the others?" Hermione asked.

Harry leaned back. "The first was on the platform when we arrived on the train. Ginny and I bumped into a wizard called Sylvain. He seemed eager to meet me and even was excited to meet Ginny. The second time was before out first Muggle History class. This time a wizard named Dragair was helping a student that had dropped her books. He kept me a little longer then I had hoped. And then there was the prat I met during the Halloween Ball, Griff. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs where…" He didn't want to finish that thought. "Well, he heard something I would rather he didn't." Raven came back with four butterbeers. He bowed to the students and left the pub. "I know that I'm famous and everything, but I thought that these wizards were here to protect the school. I just get an odd feeling from them."

"Don't dwell on it, mate," Ron said. "Just be glad that you know some more Aurors in the Ministry if you decide to go that route."

"Yeah, I guess," he answered. Looking across the table, Harry saw Hermione's eyes looking beyond him. He turned around, saw nothing and turned back to him. "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"I just thought of something," she said. "Griff, Raven, Dragair, and Sylvain. Something about those names sounds familiar." She drained her tankard of butterbeer and got up. "I'll see the rest of you at the castle. I have to look up something."

As she ran out of the pub, Ron stood up. "I better see what she's up to. God only knows what book she might have her nose in until next week." He chased after Hermione.

Ginny and Harry were left alone at the table. They kept avoiding each other's eyes, until Harry finally spoke. "Ginny, can we talk?"

She looked up at him. "I guess. About what?"

"About us."

Ginny shook her head. "Harry, there is no us. I thought I made that clear." 

"But you've stopped avoiding me and yelling at me."

Ginny smiled. "Yeah, I did stop that, because you're my friend Harry. You always were and always will be. Honestly though, I can't see how you can be anything else, when I know that I was your second choice and Cho was your first."

"But she wasn't…" Harry started to say. A group of students close to them suddenly laughed so loud that Harry's words were drowned out. "Let's go outside." He reached over, took her hand and led her out of the pub. They walked to a secluded street. "What I was trying to say is that she wasn't my first choice. I thought you were seeing Dean Thomas at the time."

"And when did I say that?" Ginny asked, a bit amazed at what he just said.

"On the train ride home last year," he said. "You said you had chosen Dean after you left Michael Corner."

Ginny thought for a moment. "Oh, that." She started to giggle. "That was just to get a rise out of Ron. He's never been too fond of any guy that's shown too much interest in me." Her smile faded and she looked straight in his eyes. "But the truth is, Harry, that you never came to talk to me about it. Even if I were seeing someone else, I still would want to talk about this."

"So there's no way we can make this work?"

She shook her head. "Not right now, Harry. I can't deal with this." Ginny turned on her heels and headed back for the castle.

Harry kept walking along the streets of Hogsmeade. Ginny's last words to him set a tone of finality to his feelings for her. She didn't want to have anything serious between them, but she still wanted to be his friend. As he walked among the shops, he noticed a shop that had just recently opened. He looked inside the window and an idea struck him. It would take a while for him to see if his instincts were right, but he could wait.

That night at dinner, Hermione disclosed her findings to the others. Ron had tried to help her in the library, but she had quickly pushed him away. "I found out why the Sorting Hat referred to dragons when it talked about Hufflepuff. It's because the dragon is the animal of Hufflepuff house."

"I thought the badger was Hufflepuff's animal," Harry said.

"It is now," Hermione replied. "But back when Hogwarts was founded, a dragon inhabited this land. No one could get near this area, until Helga Hufflepuff used her mastery of mind persuasion to convince the dragon to leave. Only a select few witches and wizards have been able to do this over the centuries."

"So why then did they change it to a badger?"

"Because around 500 years ago, the Hogwarts headmaster decided to hold a special ceremony for students leaving Hogwarts and entering the workforce. During this ceremony, the house animals were brought in for the celebration. They managed to secure an adolescent dragon, but it still got out of control. After that, Hufflepuff changed their animal to the badger. Eventually though, the ceremony stopped being held, but they never changed the animal back to what it originally was."

Ron rolled his eyes. "And this has to do with…what?"

Hermione glared over at him. "Think about it, Ron. Griff, Raven, Dragair, Sylvain. All of those names sound like either the house names or the house animals. It takes a little imagination with Sylvain, though. If you take the first three letters, 'S-Y-L', it sounds a bit like 'sly', or Slytherin. This can't be a coincidence." She leaned back a bit. "I only can't believe that this sort of information wasn't in _Hogwarts: A History_. It would have saved me a lot of time and research." 

"Come to think of it," Harry said. "Kevin was a bit anxious when I told him I met Griff, and then the next day we were all locked up in our dormitories. But there Ministry wizards, they can't be involved anything bad or they wouldn't be here." Surely neither Kevin nor Dumbledore would let someone involved with Voldemort into the castle. "What do think we should do? Should we go to Dumbledore?"

Harry never got a response to his question. Professor Dumbledore had just entered the hall, followed closely by Kevin and Sara. The couple was smiling brightly and holding onto one another. When they reached the head table, Dumbledore raised his hands to quiet the hall. "Students, if I may have your attention for a moment. I have some wonderful news concerning two of our professors. Kevin and Sara Hall have just told me that they are expecting their first child."

The Great Hall erupted with applause and cheers. Kevin put an arm around his wife and pulled her in close. He placed a kiss on her cheek. Harry stood up to applaud and soon the whole hall was to its feet; even a good portion of the Slytherin table was standing. Hermione, forgetting for the moment that she was a prefect and had to set an example, left her seat and ran up to Sara. She threw her arms around Sara's neck. Sara returned the embrace. Ginny and a few other girls followed Hermione's lead and went up the head table to offer congratulations. The boys walked over to Kevin and offered handshakes and pats on his back.

Professor Dumbledore let the students come forward for a bit, then gestured for them to take their seats. "Yes, we are all very happy for both of them. Do not fear though, neither of them have any plans to leave Hogwarts anytime soon. However, this is not the only piece of good news that I have. The fall term will end in a bit more then a month. Before you will have the option to go home for the holidays, we will be holding our second ball of the year on December the twentieth. Our first ball was very successful and encouraging to some of our students who had begun to feel the pressures of the school year. So, you may all consider this a present from the Hogwarts staff."

The hall cheered once again at the announcement of another ball, this one just in time for Christmas. Harry applauded along with everyone else, but as he looked across the table, he knew that the one person he would want to spend the evening with had made it clear that she wanted only to be his friend.


	26. Last Chance

As the days went on, Harry started noticing fewer and fewer Ministry wizards around the castle. Kevin was making the rounds himself and even was seen in Gryffindor tower a time or two. Even though it had been announced that he and Sara were expecting a child, he seemed nervous every time he walked down the corridors. His classes became less of his lectures and focused more on practical magic use. They had finished their sight-improving potion, and the class was eager to try them. However, he simply asked that the contents of their cauldrons be put into vials and placed on his desk.

No matter Kevin's mood, though, Sara wore a bright smile on her face wherever she went. Her classes became moments of cheer as she eagerly told them about Muggle America in the mid-1920s. The bell rang to end class and Harry made to grab his things when he noticed someone enter the room. Ginny walked up to Sara's desk. She leaned into the professor and whispered something. Sara smiled and ushered her to follow him. 

Harry kept thinking about Ginny every time he was reminded of the Christmas Ball. He desperately wanted to ask her to accompany him to the ball, but was afraid that she might refuse. She might think he was still trying to start a relationship with her, and she would be right. He stole a quick glance inside his bag to a box that contained something he had bought in Hogsmeade.

At the end of the day, Hermione split off from the others and walked off towards the library to do some more research about Hogwarts when it was first founded. Ron had been acting a bit nervous for a while and finally stepped away from Harry as well. Alone for a while, he walked the corridors waiting for dinner to be served. He didn't realize that his movements were being closely watched.

"Up to no good again, Potter?"

Harry turned and saw Professor Snape standing behind him. He smiled as fake a smile as he could. "Professor Snape. How good to see you again. It's been a while since we've crossed paths, hasn't it?"

"Don't patronize me, Potter," Snape growled. "I have been working tirelessly to ensure that my students are adequately prepared for their upper level courses. Unlike my illustrious counterpart, I cannot afford to evade my work with 'frivolities'."

"You would call having a family a 'frivolity'?"

Snape's eyes narrowed to slits. "What I call it is none of your concern. Question me again and it will be detention for you, and I assure you that I will find a way to revoke your Quidditch playing abilities."

Harry was about to call Snape on his bluff when he heard a soft growl from behind Snape. The Potions Master turned and found all four housedogs in perfect position to attack. "Pathetic beasts. If they were human, I would have them thrown out of this school."

"But they are not human, Severus."

Sara came walking from a side corridor. "Nor are they yours to deal with." She snapped her fingers and the animals backed off. "I would suggest that you make no more threats towards them. They are very sensitive."

Snape started to walk away, making a point to walk right by Sara. He lowered his voice, but Harry could still here him say, "You look so much like her. More is the pity." He left her alone with Harry. 

"What did he mean by that?" Harry asked.

Sara shook her head. "Never mind him, Harry. You better hurry, dinner will be served in a bit." She walked towards the staff room with the dogs in close pursuit.

Harry turned himself around and walked to the Great Hall. Ron was already sitting at the table with Ginny. His head was on the table and she was patting him on the back. "It's all right Ron. She said yes, didn't she?"

Taking a seat across from them, Harry asked, "Who said yes?"

Ginny looked up at him and tried very hard to keep a straight face. "Ron just asked Hermione to the Christmas Ball." She started giggling. "What makes it so funny is that, when she said yes, she said it was about time he noticed she was a girl." Harry remembered that speech from their fourth year. In all that time, it seemed that Ron still hadn't gotten the hint.

He reached over and patted Ron's shoulder. "Good for you mate."

Ron looked up at him. "Good for me? Are you mad? I have to go to the ball with Hermione Granger. The same girl that's busted my back for the last five and a half years is going with me to the ball." Suddenly, he smiled. "I'm going to the ball with Hermione Granger."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I think he just realized that he ducked another date with Luna Lovegood."

Hermione soon joined the group at the table, giving Ron an affectionate look. Harry was going to make sure he watched these two closely.

The last day of term finally ended, and the students made themselves ready for the Christmas Ball. Harry watched Ron nervously pace around the common room in his dress robes. It made him smile that his two best friends had finally decided to give each other a chance. Now if only he could be so lucky.  
He patted a pocket inside his robes. A box was fit snugly inside with a little surprise for someone. Ron stopped pacing and looked over at him. "Well, aren't you nervous? Who are you waiting for?"

Harry shook his head. "No one. I'm going…what did Kevin call it…oh yeah, I'm going stag." Ron looked puzzled. "It means alone, Ron."

"Why?" he asked. "Surely you could find someone to go with."

"No, and I didn't bother trying," Harry replied. "I have something to do tonight, and I can't be held down by a partner that won't leave my arm."

A door closed from upstairs and Hermione glided downstairs. Ron's jaw dropped as far as it would go. She was wearing light blue robes and her hair was cascading down her back. Its usual curly locks were not straight, causing it to fall to the center of her back. Harry had to admit to himself that she looked incredible.

He let the two of them gape at each other, while he left the common room. Harry walked down the stone steps to the entrance to the Great Hall, where students were gathering and waiting to be let in. The doors opened, allowing the students inside. As Harry went to follow him, he saw Kevin standing to the side with Sara.

The Dark Arts professor whispered something in his wife's ear and she walked off. He turned to the approaching student. "Are you sure about this, Harry?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Earlier that day, Harry had stayed behind in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Kevin motioned for Harry to follow him into his office. "What's on your mind, Harry? I can't stay long, though. Sara and I have to make preparations for tonight."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Harry said. "I was wondering if you could help me with something…actually, someone."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, I'll do what I can."

Harry told him what he had in mind.

The Great Hall was spectacularly decorated for the ball. Like last time, dinner was served first and then the floor was opened up for couples to dance. Ron led Hermione by the hand into the growing group of students. If it was possible, Harry thought Ron was even more nervous now that he actually had to touch her. Hermione was patient with him, and he eventually calmed down.

Harry stood off to the side, looking for someone. A few girls came up to him and asked him to dance. Harry accepted but he still kept an eye out for a mane of red hair. Finally, she came into his view. Ginny was walking a few girls in her own year, dressed in the dress robes she had been given on her birthday. Harry remembered them to be navy blue, but realized she must have used the spell Sara had taught her to make them scarlet. He didn't care; she looked good in anything.

Suddenly, a bout of anxiety overtook Harry. He wanted more than anything to go over to her, ask her to dance, and put his plan into motion. However, his earlier feelings of confidence faded away as he looked upon the beautifully clad girl walking through the hall. This was quite possibly his last chance to show her how he felt. If this didn't work, then he would have to accept the fact that Ginny did not feel for him what he felt for her.

After twenty minutes, Harry had still not had the courage to go up to her. Every possible answer she could give him played in his mind over and over. Unfortunately, there were only a small few that were in his favor. He walked along the walls of the Great Hall, keeping Ginny in his sight at all times. Whenever another boy had walked up to her and asked her to dance, Harry felt his insides constrict. A few of them had motioned for her to follow them out into the corridors, but she refused and went back to the group of girls.

Kevin, who until this moment had been standing near the center stage with Sara, walked over to Harry. "Time's running out. It's now or never."

Harry started bouncing on the balls of his feet. "All right. Do you think you can give me something that will help?"

The older wizard patted Harry's shoulder. "I have just the thing." He walked back over the band, whispered something in Sara's ear, and went up on the stage. "Students, if I may have your attention. Before you all head back to your dormitories for the evening and finish packing for that train ride tomorrow, we have one more dance for you." He extended a hand towards his wife and helped her onto the stage. "You all know that Sara is an excellent teacher, but what you may not know is that she can sing as well. This song is one that holds special meaning to us both, and we hope it will do the same for you."

The band retuned their instruments for a moment while Sara took a microphone. Kevin motioned to Harry with his hands and mouthed, Now. Harry put all his nervous feelings aside and walked directly up to Ginny. Ignoring the other girls, he said, "Ginny, would you like to dance?"

Ginny looked a little uneasy about taking the hand he had offered, but laid her hand in his. They walked onto the floor as a low tone started to play. He placed his left hand around her waist and she put her right on his shoulder. The music added a soft beat, and Sara started to sing:

_Deceived by my eyes and all I was told I should see  
Opinions not mine, the person they taught me to be  
One night in the dark, a vision of someone I knew  
And in the darkness I saw, a voice say, I'm you._

Ginny would not look at Harry's eyes. Her head was kept down, but she wouldn't look to her side.

_Inside me a light was turned on  
Then I was alive_

If you close your eyes your life, a naked truth revealed  
Dreams you never lived and scars never healed  
In the darkness light, will take you to the other side  
And find me waiting there you'll see if you just close your eyes.

Harry felt her hand tighten in his and her head move a bit upward. She met his eyes for a brief moment, and then put her head back down. Harry knew that she was wrestling with her own feelings. This was working.

_Hearts uninspired, trapped inside somebody's dream  
Too close to the fire, yet cold and so numb with the pain  
But the fever has broken, and the river has run to the sea  
Washed to the ocean, and saved by a voice inside me.  
Inside me a light was turned on  
Then I was alive_

Harry slipped his arm further around her waist. She didn't object.

_If you close your eyes your life, a naked truth revealed  
Dreams you never lived and scars never healed  
In the darkness light, will take you to the other side  
And find me waiting there you'll see if you just close your eyes._

Ginny looked into Harry's eyes.

_Never thought I would be here, so high in the air  
This is my unanswered prayer  
Defined by another, so much wasted time  
Out of the darkness, each breath that I take will be mine_

The music faded a bit. Ginny moved in close to Harry and laid her head on his chest. The music picked up again.

_If you close your eyes your life, a naked truth revealed  
Dreams you never lived and scars never healed  
In the darkness light, will take you to the other side  
And find me waiting there you'll see if you just close your eyes.  
If you just close your eyes._

A last stream of music, and the hall faded to silence. The couples stopped dancing and applauded for Sara and the band, all except one couple. Harry was still holding Ginny close to him. She showed no sign of wanting to let go, but he knew he had to. He had gotten this far, but he didn't want to do what he had to in here.

Keeping hold of her hand, they walked out of the Great Hall and down the stone steps. He led her to a window in the entryway, where they stood in silence. Harry kept touching his robes where the box was, wondering if this was such a good idea.

Ginny thought it was not. "Why are you doing this, Harry? I thought I made my feelings clear."

Harry reached out to touch her hand. "You did. You said you couldn't handle things 'right now'. That was a month ago. Ginny, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, but I want you to know that my feelings aren't going to go away on a whim. I care about you."

Tears formed in Ginny's eyes. "And I care about you, too." She pulled out her handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. "But I'm not sure if I…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…love you."

Harry put his arms around her and drew her to his chest. She leaned in to him, tears still running down her cheeks. The two stood together, the only sound between them was Ginny's sobs. Harry was close to crying himself. _This was not what I wanted,_ he thought. _This was supposed to be either the moment when she would be smiling, or she walked away._

They stood together for a few minutes, before Harry heard footsteps from a corridor near them. Ginny looked up, also hearing the footsteps. Harry started to lead her away, but she stood still. He didn't want to have to explain why he was standing there with a crying girl to someone like Professor Snape. "Ginny, let's go somewhere else."

Her face was fixed in an expression of feared excitement. He turned his head in the direction she was looking. Four black-robed wizards were standing in the corridor. They were wearing skull-like masks and staring directly at the two of them. Harry's hand immediately went into his robes for his wand, but only found empty pockets. One of the wizards raised his right hand and brandished a familiar looking wand. "You really should take better care of your belongings, Mr. Potter." He raised his left hand, another wand in it. "And you as well, Miss Weasley. If you both weren't so caught up in each other, you would have realized your wands were leaving your pockets."

The wizards placed a hand on the front of their masks and raised them. Harry couldn't breathe for a moment. Griff, Raven, Dragair, and Sylvain were standing in the entryway, smiles on each of their faces. Griff took both the young wizard's wands and placed them in his robe. "I hope that we weren't interrupting anything important, but I'm afraid we are on a time constraint." He raised his own wand and ropes shot out from the tip. They wrapped around Harry and Ginny's arms, binding them to their backs.

Harry didn't even know what was happening. In a matter of moments, he had been disarmed and tied up, and what was worse was that Ginny was involved as well. He couldn't protect her. Struggling as hard as he could, Harry tried to free himself from the bonds. The four Death Eaters laughed as they watched the young wizard fight to break free. Ginny just stood in her place, fear evident in her eyes.

Raven walked over to Harry and pushed him over. Harry fell to his back, still writhing to break free. The Death Eater looked down at him. "There's no need to struggle, Harry. Believe it or not, we are not here for you. Well, not entirely. We're here to collect a family member." He raised his wand and shot golden sparks at the ceiling. "Brother!" he called out.

Harry stopped moving. It confused him that he was not their primary target. The upper floor soon filled with student who had seen the sparks and heard the shout. He saw Ron and Hermione push their way to the front. When they saw Harry and Ginny tied up, they both tried to run down the stairs to help. Dragair pointed his wand at the stairs. An invisible barrier formed at the top, preventing anyone from coming down.

Students started screaming and pointing at the scene below. Teachers started moving through the crowd and pushing students away from the railing. The Death Eaters looked up, and suddenly, Sylvain's smile got wider. "Brother! There you are!"

Harry looked up to see whom he was addressing, and he thought his heart would stop. Kevin was leaning on the railing, a look of anger on his face. Harry thought he was mistaken in that he couldn't have seen it right.

But he was; Kevin and Sylvain were eye to eye. The other Death Eaters looked up as well. Sylvain raised his hands, palms up.

"Brother, at last! The sons of Voldemort are reunited!"


	27. Father's And Sons

Harry was sure his ears were playing tricks on him. Sylvain had just called Kevin his brother, but that couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.

Kevin did not like what Sylvain had said. He leapt over the railing, pulled his wand from inside his robes and aimed it at the floor. A jet of light shot from the tip towards the floor. Kevin had just used a cushioning spell to ease the stones he landed on. His knees bent a bit as he launched from his position towards the Death Eaters. They drew their own wands, but Kevin reached them before they could act. 

Grabbing both Raven and Dragair on the color of their robes, he kicked his right leg out into Raven's torso, then turned and hit Dragair. The Death Eaters doubled over and fell to their knees. Griff pointed his wand at Kevin. _"Stupefy!"_

Kevin slashed his wand through the air. _"Protego!"_ A silver wall of light formed in front of him and deflected the spell. He leapt to his right, rolled on the ground and aimed at Griff. _"Incarcerous!"_ Ropes shot from his wand and wrapped around Griff's feet. He fell to his back, dropping his wand. Kevin turned quickly to face Sylvain, but was a moment too late.

_"Crucio!"_

Harry heard a horrifying scream as Kevin's right arm was twisted behind his back. It kept being pushed by an invisible hand further and further in a direction it was not meant to. Kevin bit his lower lip to stifle another scream, which was exactly what Sylvain was waiting to hear. Harry looked up and hoped that someone would draw their wand and help him, but he saw that that was impossible.

A series of popping noises sounded from the upper levels and more dark robed wizards appeared behind the students and teachers. They started pushing students back towards the Great Hall, while the teachers were herded into a side corridor. The Death Eaters were not taking any chances as they had three of them to each teacher, five for Dumbledore. The teachers did not seem to be afraid of their captors, but were surprised that they were able to apparate inside the castle. Hermione had made it clear on more than one occasion that apparition was impossible on Hogwarts grounds.

Raven and Dragair soon got to their feet and Griff was freed from his bonds. The three joined their brother over the still struggling form of Kevin. Sylvain looked over at Raven. "Keep watch over him. Griff, come with me." Raven pointed his wand over Kevin and continued the curse his brother had started. The other two ran up the stairs to the other Death Eaters. Harry heard them shouting some orders, and they soon started back down. Three skull-masked Death Eaters followed them, though they were not the only ones. In their grips were Ron, Hermione and Sara.

They shoved their captives beside Harry and Ginny, and then bound their hands. Harry looked over at Sara. She did not seem concerned for her husband, nor was she afraid. Instead, her face showed that she had no intention of showing weakness to these Dark Wizards. Raven stopped his Cruciatus Curse and kicked Kevin in his torso. Dragair and Griff lifted him up by his arms and let him lean against the wall. Kevin tried to stand without leaning, but Griff kicked out his foot and tripped him. Kevin hit the ground on his right shoulder. He tried not to show how much it hurt, but he was not successful. "What the hell do you all want?" he spit out, through the pain.

Sylvain waved his wand, and Kevin was magically lifted into the air. The Death Eater slashed his wand towards the far wall, and Kevin soared through the air towards the same wall. Harry shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch Kevin's back slam into the stone. Still though, Kevin would not scream. He drew all the strength he could and got to his feet. Griff laughed, "It's clear that the same blood runs in our veins, but let's be sure."

With another wave of a wand, a jet of red light shot from the tip. It slashed Kevin's arm, causing a stream of blood to stain his midnight blue robes. Another stream of light slashed his leg. Kevin dropped to his knees, his hand reaching inside his robes. Raven walked over to his kneeling brother. In the span of a moment, Kevin pulled a small bag of powder from his robes, and threw in Raven's face. The Death Eater stumbled; Kevin lunged forward. He grabbed Raven's wand from his hand and pushed him to the ground. Pointing it towards Griff, he called, _"Impedimenta!" _

Griff dove to the floor. _"Stupefy!" _

Kevin managed to dodge the spell, though his wounded leg would not support a full run. He fell back to his knees, still holding the wand. _"Imped…"_

_"Expelliarmus!"_

The wand flew from Kevin's grip. He looked around, expecting Dragair or Sylvain to have their wands on him. It was not either of them, however. The real caster was much more horrifying.

A large black-robed wizard stood in the entryway of the corridor. His slit-like eyes burned a deep red. Lord Voldemort was looming over his servants and enemies alike.

Harry almost fainted at seeing him. Voldemort stood with an aura of dominance and power that he had never been in the presence of before. Harry's knees started to tremble at the thought that he was tied up and without his wand, while his enemy was free to attack. Ron's face turned a pale white when he realized who had arrived. Ginny seemed frozen in terror, and Hermione's shoulders couldn't stop from shaking.

Sara, however, didn't seem concerned. "It's about time you showed up. At least you could do some of the dirty work yourself." Harry looked over at her as if she had gone mad.

Voldemort glanced over at her for a moment, and then turned his gaze to the Death Eaters. The three that had brought the others down fell to their faces before him. The four brothers stood tall before their master. Voldemort seemed not to notice the bleeding wizard on his knees. "My sons, why do wizards still live in this castle? Have you been dawdling with this failure of an offspring? Perhaps I should give his life to one of you. As a group, the four of you cause more mischief than mayhem." He walked over to Sara. "Of course, which ever of you that I give his life too, I cannot give this lovely treasure as well. It would not be fair that only one of my sons reap all the rewards of our hard work." He traced a long finger across her cheek. Kevin lunged at Voldemort with all his strength. Raven and Dragair grabbed an arm each and held him down. Voldemort turned towards him. "To think that you, out of all that I have created, would attain such a lovely prize as this."

"She's not a prize," Kevin said, through clenched teeth. "If you touch her again…" Raven planted his right fist in Kevin's torso.

Voldemort shook his head. "You showed such promise at such a young age. Why did you run away to that mudblood lover, Dumbledore?"

Kevin glared up at him. "I may have been young, but I still knew that if I stayed with you I would regret it. What you made me do was…" Harry saw tears forming in Kevin's eyes. "…was more than any seven year old should have to deal with."

Voldemort shook his head. "If you had been stronger, it would have easier for you to have done it." He waved his hands at his sons. "Kill him, now!"

Raven and Dragair let go of Kevin's arms. He tried to get to his feet, but was forced back to his belly by a swift kick from Griff. The four brothers drew their wands, aimed it at Kevin and muttered a curse: the final curse.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

At that moment, a white light shone throughout the entry hall. Harry felt all his fear and anxiety wash away, and his hands and feet were suddenly free. The light soon fell to a sort of mist that prevented him from seeing anything beyond two feet. He could hear, though.

"What's happening?" Griff yelled.

"My Lord, where are you?" Raven asked.

"Find that traitor," Voldemort said. "I can sense he is still alive."

Harry started to hear sounds from the upper levels too. People were shouting, but he couldn't tell exactly who the voices belonged to. The mist finally cleared and Harry had to stifle a cheer. Kevin was standing with a determined look in his eyes. His wand was back in his hand, and there were more wizards with him. Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were flanking him. Harry looked around and saw Hagrid also in the entryway. The three Death Eaters that had bowed at Voldemort's feet were still on the ground, though now they were unconscious at Hagrid's feet.

Kevin stared with malice at Voldemort. "You can stay and fight if you want, Voldemort, but we both know that you're chances of leaving here alive are slim." His point was made all the more clear as the upper level was soon flooded with Ministry wizards and Aurors, all pointing wands at Voldemort.

The dark wizard seemed to find this amusing. "And you know that I would take a great deal of you to your graves before you could harm me." His hand shot inside his robes and pulled his wand out. The Aurors tensed as they prepared for the oncoming assault. Kevin knew they wouldn't attack for fear of their spells hitting one of the hostages.

They didn't have to worry. 

From the shadows, the housedogs lunged at the standing Death Eaters. Hagrid moved quickly to grab Griff and Raven by their necks and lifted them from their feet. Voldemort aimed his wand at the gamekeeper. _"Avada Ke…"_

Lita leapt at Voldemort, her paws forcing him from his feet and interrupting his spell. Shawn sunk his teeth into Voldemort's wrist, causing the wand to slip from his fingers. Dragair ran to his master's aid. Moody cast a stunning spell at him, and Dragair dropped to the floor.

Kevin turned his wand at Sylvain, who was heading towards Sara and the hostages. "Don't move."

Sylvain smiled. "I don't have to." He slashed his wand quickly through the air, and he suddenly wasn't there anymore; neither were Dragair, Griff, Raven, or Voldemort. They had vanished from the castle.

Professor Dumbledore ordered all students back to their dorms immediately. No one had been hurt, except for Kevin. From what Harry could gather from the other students, the Death Eaters had simply held them inside the Great Hall until the Aurors showed up and rescued them. All of the Death Eaters had been left behind and were now in the custody of the Aurors.

Gryffindor tower did not sleep that night. The younger students were frightened beyond belief. Most of them had stayed behind and not attended the ball. When the Death Eaters stormed the castle, they had forced their way into the dormitories and dragged the students still inside downstairs. The older students did what they could to calm the younger ones, but they were just as scared.

No one bothered to even go up to their rooms to change out of their dress robes. Everyone huddled in the common room for safety, because a horrible truth became clear to them that night.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was no longer safe.


	28. How It Started

The morning after the attack, the castle was neither of place of cheerfulness or excitement. The Aurors from last night were still patrolling the corridors. Harry could not walk five steps without looking over his shoulder to see if a Death Eater were following him. At breakfast that morning, Professor Dumbledore announced that all students had to leave Hogwarts for the holidays. This was most likely because of the sheer number of owls that flooded the Great Hall, all bearing letters from concerned parents who had read about the attack in the _Daily Prophet_.

Harry had gotten a look at Hermione's copy and understood why so many parents had cause for concern. The front page had a large picture of the four Death Eaters standing over a helpless Kevin, though the article made him out to be anything but helpless:

_In a disturbing series of events that has not been heard of before, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was overrun by a number of Death Eaters last night. Among them was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself. It is still unclear at this time how the Dark wizards gained access to the castle, but it is rumored that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, one Kevin Hall, was involved in the attack in some way. Reports indicate that he may even have some relation to You-Know-Who, but it is unclear at this time as to how. Professor Hall has not been available for comment, though it is believed that he is in Ministry custody pending trial and sentencing._

Harry stared with shock that, not only that someone had gotten this story so fast, but that they made Kevin out to be a Dark wizard when he was trying to save them all. One look at the byline, though, and it all made sense. Rita Skeeter was obviously back on the payroll of the _Daily Prophet_. "She telling like it was his doing," he said. "But he was trying to stop them."

Hermione slammed the paper down onto the table. "Do you think she really cares, Harry? This is the woman who kept saying you had mental problems and I was a filthy little heartbreaker."

Ron and Ginny came running into the Great Hall. "Sorry, mate," Ron said. "Couldn't find Kevin anywhere."

"Or Sara," Ginny added.

Harry sighed. Neither of the professors had been seen since last night, and it scared Harry a little. Even the housedogs had vanished. "You don't think that they were really taken into custody, do you?"

Ron shook his head. "No way. Even if they believed for a second that Kevin was in on the attack, why take Sara? She's just his wife."

"They may have thought they were working together," Hermione said. "But I can't believe that. You all saw how Professor Hall was leading them last night. Moody, Lupin, Shacklebolt, they were all standing with him, not against him."

"Still," Harry replied. "It would be nice to hear the story from them as to just what the hell is going on."

Breakfast ended and all the students started congregating in the main corridor. They were about to be led down to Hogsmeade station when Professor McGonagall walked up to them. "You four grab your things and follow me." She led them through the castle to her office. "I have bent sent instructions that the four of you will travel by floo powder to a location that has been set up for your protection. Ministry officials will be waiting to receive you when you arrive."

They lined up in front of her fireplace, Ron first. He took some floo powder from a clay jar, threw it into the hearth and called out the name Professor McGonagall had told him. Ginny went next, then Hermione, and then it was Harry's turn. He took some powder and called out, "Godric's Hollow!" Throwing the powder into the hearth, he vanished into the flames. 

Harry stepped out of a fireplace into a pair of arms that wrapped around him tightly. "Harry, dear. It's good to see you again." The arms belonged to Mrs. Weasley, a short, plump woman with a heart as big as Hogwarts itself. She held on to Harry for a full minute before he was allowed to go any further into the house he had been sent to. 

When he finally managed to get past Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, a tall balding wizard, confronted him. He grabbed Harry's hand and pumped it vigorously. "Glad to see you again, Harry. Been well?"

Harry nodded. "It's good to see you again too, sir." As he looked around the living room, he saw Fred and George sitting on a sofa with their oldest brother, Bill. He still had his ponytail that seemed to drive his mother mad and his stylish dragon fang earring. Charlie, the second oldest, was there as well. He was talking with Ginny and Ron. He heard noises outside the room and saw the last person he expected to see walking down a set of stairs. 

Percy Weasley.

Harry's breath caught in his throat at seeing him in the house. Percy had abandoned his relationship with his family over a year and a half ago when he had sided with the Ministry of Magic in their refusal to admit to Voldemort's return. For an entire year, Percy had neither spoken to his parents nor had any contact with them. Now though, with Fudge out of office and the Ministry of Magic openly accepting the return of the Dark Lord, Percy and his family had apparently made peace with one another.

Mr. Weasley clapped his hands together. "Well, now that we all are here, let's have some lunch, shall we?" They all went into the spacious dining room where Mrs. Weasley had prepared a feast for them all. Taking seats around the long table, Mr. Weasley could see the concerned looks on the young students faces. "I know that the lot of you have questions, and you will get them all answered, but later. For now, we eat and let ourselves rest."

They all nodded. Though the meal was hardly eaten in silence, no one made any comments about the attack or the accusations made in the Daily Prophet this morning. Finally, though, Harry had to speak. "Mr. Weasley, where are Kevin and Sara? Have they been taken by the Ministry?"

Mr. Weasley looked down at his plate for a moment. "They were, but they were released. They are both upstairs at the moment."

Harry jumped to his feet, but was quickly pushed back down by Bill, who had conveniently decided to walk behind his chair at that moment. "Don't Harry," he said. "Neither of them are in any state to talk right now. Let them rest and then you can talk to them." Harry was not pleased, but he did not try to get up again.

Lunch was soon finished and they all went back to the living room. Harry took a seat near the hearth of the fire, allowing others to enjoy the comfort of the sofa and the two armchairs. Ginny took a seat beside him, while Mr. Weasley sat in one of the armchairs. When everyone had a seat, he took a deep breath. "I know that a lot has happened, so let me try to explain as best I can. The attack last night was something that none of us thought was possible. We thought we had taken all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the students at Hogwarts, but I guess we missed something.

"No one except those in the Order knew of the existence of the four generals, and only one member knew what they looked like, Kevin. The generals did an excellent job at making sure they neither drew attention to themselves nor were seen by Kevin himself. The fact that Harry told him about meeting Griff was the first time we knew that security had been breached. After that, we used the Aurors less and less since that was how they were getting into the castle."

He took a breath, knowing that there were questions coming. Hermione was the first to speak. "How did they apparate into the castle? It's impossible."

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "No, it isn't. If you take away the charms and spells that protect the castle, it is very possible to apparate inside the grounds. That is exactly what they did."

The room grew quiet for a moment. "What's the story with Kevin?" Harry asked. "Is he really Voldemort's…son?"

"No, I'm not."

The whole room turned to the doorway to find Kevin, bruised and beaten, leaning against the door post. Sara was keeping close to him with an arm around his waist. "I'm not his son and he is not my father…but he is responsible for what I am today." Sara helped him over to the armchair that Mr. Weasley quickly vacated. Taking one of Kevin's arms, he lowered him into the chair. "Thank you, Arthur."

"What happened to you?" Ron asked, horrified at what he saw.

Kevin leaned back gently. Molly took out her wand and conjured a chair for Sara to sit in. "It was those blasted Ministry interrogators," she said as she helped Sara into the chair. Sara had recently started to show her pregnancy and required a bit of help every now and then. "They know that Dumbledore would never knowingly employ a Death Eater at Hogwarts, nor would allow one to continue after he was found out to still be in service. The fact that Kevin still has a position should be more than enough for those brutes to have let him go earlier then they did."

"Shouldn't you go to St. Mungo's?"

Kevin shook his head. "I'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks; besides I doubt I would get priority treatment. I haven't exactly been the most popular person since last night." He shifted in his chair. "It doesn't matter. The only thing I'm concerned about is that all of you got here safely. Hogwarts was an insane asylum after what happened. Aurors and teachers running around, not sure what had happened. We had to find all the students that had been captured around the castle and retrieve them. After the smoke had cleared, I was taken to the Ministry of Magic for questioning. They soon found out exactly who I was and that's when this happened." He drew his hand over his face and torso.

Harry leaned in towards Kevin. "Are you really the son of Voldemort?"

"I said I wasn't," he answered. "But at the same time, I guess you could say I am. Let me explain. During Voldemort's rise to power, he was obsessed with the day that he might be killed or just died. While he was trying to find a means of becoming immortal, he also thought about taking on an heir. He wanted someone young, whom he could mold to his own twisted desires. He chose five women who were all pregnant as the ones to bear his offspring.

"Now I know you are all saying, 'They were already pregnant. How could they be his children?' It is possible for a powerful wizard to transfer a bit of his own power, and even himself, to the unborn child. Four of the women accepted this willingly, one didn't. That woman was my mother.

"The four women who were willing each were of the bloodline to the four greatest witches and wizards in a thousand years, the founders of Hogwarts. That's why each of their children has a name that resembles something about the house. Now, though, they shared a bloodline of one of them and now Slytherin. Sylvain is especially powerful since his blood is purely that of Salazar Slytherin, which makes him the most dangerous of the four.

"As for my mother, it was something that even Voldemort didn't expect. Remarkably, she shared blood with Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. With the addition of Slytherin, I now had the lineage of all four wizards. I was to be Voldemort's heir when he discovered what had happened, and he gave me a name that would fit with the rise of the next Dark Lord, Tom."

"His own name?" Harry asked. "But he got rid of it because it was given to him by his Muggle father."

"Exactly," Kevin replied. "He told me that, when I was powerful enough, I could cast off the name as he did and take a true name for myself. Instead, I threw it off and chose the name of my own father." Sara leaned over and placed a hand on his arm.

"How did you escape?"

Kevin took a few breaths. "When I was seven, my mother managed to smuggle me out and brought me to Dumbledore." He brought a hand up to his eyes. "She was killed soon after that while trying to through Voldemort off my trail. My father had died while trying to rescue us three years before that, so I had no one to take me in, until Lily and James brought me to this house."

Harry, who had been looking down at the floor until this point, looked up. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, Harry. This is the house that your parents lived in and where you were born. It was supposed to be a present from Sirius, he was the one who had it restored, with a little help from some well wishers." The mention of his godfather caused Harry to look back down at the floor. "Dumbledore told him that rebuilding the house that your parents were murdered in might cause some harsh feelings, but Sirius felt that you should have something of your past."

Harry looked back up. "No, I'm glad that he did." He stood up and started walking around the room.

Molly got to her feet. "Well, I think that's enough for right now. Why don't we all go unpack and get settled, shall we?" She ushered her family from the living room.

Kevin stayed in his chair, watching Harry walk a bit more. When the others had left, he motioned for Harry to sit in the chair across from him. "Have you told them about the prophecy, Harry?"

The boy shook his head. "I never found a good time."

"It's your choice whether you do or not," Kevin said. "But you know that it might help you a little bit if they knew."

Harry nodded. "You're right. I do need to tell them."


	29. A Change Of Events

Harry took Ron, Hermione and Ginny into a room that Mrs. Weasley had told him would be his and Ron's. Once he was sure no one would overhear, he told them all about the prophecy between him and Voldemort. They sat in shocked silence as he announced the final part, "So, in the end, either I have to kill or him, or he kills me."

Ginny had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in amazement. "Harry, please tell me this is a joke. Please tell me that this is some twisted joke." A tear started to roll down her cheek.

"I wish I could tell you that, Ginny," he replied. "But it is all true."

"How can it be true if Professor Trelawney predicted it?" Hermione said. "She never had been the most reliable person, or the most competent."

Harry knew that Hermione had no love for Professor Trelawney, which is why she would probably be the last to accept this. "Hermione, as much as I never liked her, she has made some accurate predictions, and Professor Dumbledore believes her. Not to mention that the Ministry of Magic chose to record this prophesy and keep it in the Department of Mysteries."

"Besides, this means that Harry is going to beat him," Ron added, trying to lift all their spirits. "Because we all know that Harry is going to come out on top."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said. He could always count on his best friend to be on his side. "Guys, I know this is hard for you all to handle with everything going on, but don't worry. I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore won't let anything happen to me. I probably won't even have to fight Voldemort until I'm ready."

This didn't help calm Ginny in the least. She got up quickly and left the room. Harry got to his feet to go after her, but Hermione grabbed his arm. "I wouldn't, Harry. Let her be alone for a while."

"Yeah, mate," Ron said. "I know that she cares for you and this is got to be hell for her."

Harry looked over at his friend. "You're all right with this?"

"Harry, I've known that she has feelings for you for years, but I never could understand why you never knew." He walked over and hit the side of Harry's head. "Wake up, you great git."

Harry rubbed the side of his head and smiled. Just then, a tapping sound came from his bedroom window. He looked over and saw Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, standing outside on the sill. Opening the window quickly, he ushered the bird in. "Fawkes, this is a Muggle village. What are you doing here?"

Fawkes extended his leg, which had had a small package tied to it. Harry untied it, and a note fell from it. Ron picked it up and, on Harry's request read it:

_To Harry and Ginny:  
I found these in the main corridor after all the commotion ended. I had hoped to give them back to you before you left, but I am afraid that I was detained in the Ministry of Magic. Keep them close to you, and remember, that those close to you will never turn their backs on you._

Harry opened the package and pulled out two wands. "These were taken by Griff," he said. "I guess he must have dropped them when Hagrid had him by his throat. I never even realized they were gone, what with everything that was happening." He pocketed his own wand. "I should give Ginny back hers." As he walked out of the room, Hermione made to grab his arm again, but Ron put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him and he shook his head.

Harry walked down the hall to the room that Hermione and Ginny shared. The door was slightly cracked open. He reached out his hand to knock, and then stopped. A sound could be heard from inside the room. Leaning in close, he peaked through the crack in the door. He couldn't see anything, so he gently pushed the door open. He stepped through the door and saw Ginny sitting on her bed, her face in her hands.

She heard the door creak and looked up at Harry. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes red from crying. She turned her face away so Harry couldn't see her pain. "Go away, Harry. I don't want you to see me like this."

Harry walked over to her. "Professor Dumbledore found our wands. He sent them to us." He held out her wand. "I thought you might want it back."

Ginny turned her head. "Thank you." She took the wand and laid it next to her. "Was there something else you wanted?"

"Why are you crying?"

She wiped her sleeve across her eyes. "Why do you think? I've just heard that one of my best friends has to either kill the worst dark wizard ever or be killed himself. After everything that's already happened, how did you expect me to take it?" She lowered her head and looked at the floor.

Harry sat down beside her. "Ginny, you don't have to be sad for me. Dumbledore won't let anything happen…"

"Did Dumbledore stop you from fighting Quirrell your first year? Did he protect me from Riddle's diary? What exactly has he done that you put your complete faith in him?" A new flood of tears burst from her eyes and she leaned in to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh Harry, I don't mean to say these things, but why do you have to face these things?"

Harry slipped his arm round her. "I wish I knew why these things keep happening to me, but I've always come out ahead. I've always come out…" His mind went back to all the times he had come face to face with a dark wizard.

Three times, he had come close to dying at the hands of Voldemort or one of his followers. Last year, someone close to him had been killed while trying to protect him. Harry had always come out ahead, but it often carried a high price. "I've always had friends by my side to help me. I want you to be there too, Ginny."

She pulled her head back and looked up at him. He could see something in her eyes, something that looked like confusion mixed with longing. As if on instinct, he leaned in close to her and placed his lips upon hers. Ginny shook a bit out of surprise, but soon became comfortable with the contact. Harry tightened his arms around her midsection, drawing her closer to him.

The two held the kiss as long as their lungs would allow them. When they broke, their faces still remained close to one another. Harry inhaled a breath. "Ginny, whatever I have to go through, I want you there with me. I want to know that I have something to come back to. You've been my friend for so long, and now I want you to be more."

Ginny didn't dare take her eyes away from him. "I've waited so long for you to say that, Harry. I never want to be away from you." She leaned in and kissed him again.

They stayed with one another until Mrs. Weasley called them down for dinner. Walking hand in hand, the bounded down the stairs and found Lita sitting at the bottom. She looked up at the two of them and cocked her head to one side. Her eyes seemed to be gauging the two human. Harry looked down at her, and smiled. "What are you looking at?"

The Golden Retriever bowed her head towards their intertwined hands. She rubbed her nose against them, and then walked off towards the dining room. Ginny looked quizzically at the retreating dog. "You ever get the feeling those animals are more then we think they are?"


	30. Christmas At Home

"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Fred and George rampaged the house, waking everyone up early Christmas morning. Harry and Ron turned over in their beds, but that did not stop the Weasley twins. They started jumping around on the floor and shaking the boys. Harry flung his arms out to shoo them away.

Ron hopped to his feet. "What are you two doing here so early? I thought you were still at the Burrow?"

"Not on Christmas day," Fred said. "Today is a day we want to last as long as possible."

George added, "And besides, we know the two of you want to spend as much time with the girls as you can." He winked at Harry and Ron.

Harry jumped up and tried to grab Fred and George; Ron joined in. The four of them traded holds and shouts at one another, until a loud _bang_ was heard from the doorway. Kevin was standing there, a glare in his eyes and his fist on the door. "Why are you all making so much noise this early in the morning!? The dogs are still asleep!" The boys backed away from the older wizard. Kevin advanced in them, a finger pointed at Fred and George. "If you two were still at Hogwarts, I'd have you both scrubbing cauldrons until after your children left school." He rounded on Ron and Harry. "As for you two…" He suddenly smiled. "We've all been waiting downstairs for a long time. Molly made a feast of a breakfast."

The twins suddenly burst with laughter. Harry picked up his glasses off his nightstand and glanced at Ron's watch. It was after ten in the morning. He looked up at Kevin. "I hate you." Kevin's smile got even wider.

They went downstairs to find the entire Weasley family sitting in the dining room. Hermione and Ginny were already awake and sitting with everyone else. There was an empty seat by each of the girls, no doubt for Ron and Harry. Along with the Weasleys, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were sitting at the table. Lupin got up to greet the boys as they took their places. Kevin kissed his wife on her cheek and helped Molly set trays of food on the table.

Grabbing a handful of biscuits, Harry made sure his hand brushed Ginny's. She glanced over at him and gave him a small smile. Over the past couple of days, the two of them had been inseparable. They had gone exploring the village together, but had often stayed out for hours. Kevin had made sure they had at least an animal escort wherever they went, but he respected their privacy. Because the house was small, the entire Weasley family could not stay there overnight. Molly and Arthur had allowed Ron and Ginny to stay, since Harry and Hermione were also lodging there. Kevin and Sara had taken the final room, so there would be an adult influence in the house to keep order. The Hogwarts professors had been sure to watch out for any possible Death Eater presence in the village, but did not expect much to happen in a Muggle village.  
The house soon filled with joyous talk and laughter. Kevin's injuries had been healed and he looked as if the events of the last week hadn't done anything to him. He was talking with Arthur about the on-goings of the Ministry. "How many new Aurors have been sworn in lately?"

Arthur swallowed a mouthful of egg. "We had almost fifty candidates sworn in over the last month. Another thirty are ready to go into the field after their training is finished." 

Percy looked up from his plate. "Have you given Kevin the new Ministry edict, dad?" He enjoyed being able to talk with his family again.

"No, I'd forgotten all about it," Arthur said. "Thank you for reminding me." He got up and went into the living room.

"Arthur," Molly called after him. "Forget about that. Not on Christmas."

He came back in with a collection of parchment. "Oh, it's all right, Molly. It's something he's been waiting for. Kind of like a Christmas present." He handed the parchment to Kevin.

Flipping through them, Kevin's smile got wider and wider. "Thank you, Arthur. I'm going to enjoy this."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's permission to start a regime of training that was previously unavailable," Kevin explained. "I can now start training you all in something that will actually be useful. I can teach you how to deflect the killing curse."

All conversation stopped at that moment. Forks clanged to the table and all eyes turned towards Kevin. Harry got up the energy to speak. "Did you just say, you can teach us to deflect the killing curse?"

Kevin nodded. "Yes, I did?"

"As in, counter it?"

"I didn't say counter it, I said 'deflect' it." He put some butter on a biscuit and took a bite. When he didn't say anything else, Ginny picked up her own biscuit and lobbed it at his face. Kevin looked puzzled for a moment, and then understood. "Oh, you all want me to explain. Well, it's simple. I'm going to be teaching Hogwarts students how to protect themselves if the _Avada Kedavra_ curse is used on them. It's already being taught to the Aurors in the Ministry, but it works better if you've been taught it at a young age. The spell isn't perfect, but it does the job."

"Have you ever done it?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," he answered. "You all saw it that night at Hogwarts."

Harry thought for a minute. "Wait a minute. Are you talking about that white light that filled the hall?"

"That's the one. It's a variation of the Patronus charm mixed with about a dozen different spells. It's going to be difficult for my seventh year class, but Ginny, your year should pick it up pretty easily. As for Harry and the rest of you, it will take some time, but by your seventh year…"

"We're not going to be able to learn it till seventh year?" Ron suddenly blurted out. "Why so long?"

Kevin glanced over at him. "Because you still have a bit to learn before you can master this spell effectively. Even I still have a problem every now and then with it."

Molly tapped the table. "All right, enough talk about school and other things. Time for presents."

The table agreed, and they all got up. Molly, Tonks and Arthur quickly cleared the plates and joined everyone in the living room. Kevin and Sara had conjured up extra chairs for everyone to sit in as they gathered around the beautifully decorated tree. Ginny and Hermione had helped Sara with the decorations, and had enjoyed every minute of it.

Presents were soon being passed around the room and wrapping paper was flung to the floor. The twins had bought everyone different joke items, and Molly had made her traditional Weasley sweaters. She had even made one for Kevin and Sara, as well as the extra guests. When Harry gave Ginny her gift, he hoped that she wouldn't call too much attention to it. She opened the box, but failed to quiet a surprised squeal. All eyes turned towards her as she pulled out a silver chain with a small gem dangling at the end. Fred and George started chuckling and pointing at the gift.

Harry's face turned bright red. Ginny seemed not to notice as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Harry." He draped the chain around her neck and clasped it. The gem fell just below her throat. Hermione marveled at, not only the beauty of the gift, but Harry's thoughtfulness as well. She shot him an approving smile.

Morning soon became afternoon and the household did not calm down one bit. Charlie was telling anyone who would listen about the latest brood of dragons that had recently hatched before Christmas. Ron joked that they should have had Charlie send one of the eggs to Hagrid. He would have loved it. Lupin and Kevin were discussing different methods of teaching the new deflection technique. Kevin made the suggestion that Lupin return to Hogwarts and help with some of the classes, but the older wizard declined. He had business to take care of in another part of the country on Order business.

Harry and Ginny finally managed to steal a moment to themselves on the back porch. The temperature had dropped quite a bit, but it didn't bother them. It was just an excuse they used to huddle close together under a large fur blanket. They sat on a bench and looked out into the yard. Harry slipped an arm around her waist. "Do you really like your present?"

She leaned into him and planted a kiss on his lips. "I love it. I can't believe that you could get me something like this so soon, though. Where did you find it?"

"In Hogsmeade," he said. "At our last weekend, I stopped in that new jewelry store. The woman inside told me that the necklace would do wonders for me. I wanted to give it to you at the Christmas Ball but, with everything that happened, it was a bit hard."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for what's happened between us, Harry. I know that you never meant to hurt me, and I surely never meant to hurt you. I can't believe I said those things…"

Harry lifted a finger to her lips to quiet her. "Don't say another word. What happened in the past happened in the past. We don't need to dwell on it." He moved his finger to her chin and lifted her face to meet his. "All that matters is that I have you now. I don't need anything else." He leaned in for another kiss.

Sara stole a quick glance out of her bedroom window at the young couple sitting outside. Kevin came into the room holding a cup of tea for her. "How are they doing?" he asked.

She took the cup and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. "They're fine. I'm glad the two of them finally decided to give one another a chance. It was getting hard seeing Ginny walk into my class with pain in her eyes. My heart kept breaking every time I saw that."

"Well, at least you didn't have to almost spell everything out for her," Kevin replied. "Harry just kept missing everything I tried to tell him." He leaned his head to one side. "Although it could have been that I was making no sense at all." He shrugged. "Anyway, at least it worked out between them." He sat down next to her.

Sara leaned into his chest. "Do you think it's safe to go back to Hogwarts? Do you think we can keep all the students from harm?"

He laid an arm around her shoulder. "I wish I could say for yes, but we both know that the fight is just going to get tougher and tougher from this point on. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."


	31. The Letter

"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Fred and George rampaged the house, waking everyone up early Christmas morning. Harry and Ron turned over in their beds, but that did not stop the Weasley twins. They started jumping around on the floor and shaking the boys. Harry flung his arms out to shoo them away.

Ron hopped to his feet. "What are you two doing here so early? I thought you were still at the Burrow?"

"Not on Christmas day," Fred said. "Today is a day we want to last as long as possible."

George added, "And besides, we know the two of you want to spend as much time with the girls as you can." He winked at Harry and Ron.

Harry jumped up and tried to grab Fred and George; Ron joined in. The four of them traded holds and shouts at one another, until a loud _bang_ was heard from the doorway. Kevin was standing there, a glare in his eyes and his fist on the door. "Why are you all making so much noise this early in the morning!? The dogs are still asleep!" The boys backed away from the older wizard. Kevin advanced in them, a finger pointed at Fred and George. "If you two were still at Hogwarts, I'd have you both scrubbing cauldrons until after your children left school." He rounded on Ron and Harry. "As for you two…" He suddenly smiled. "We've all been waiting downstairs for a long time. Molly made a feast of a breakfast."

The twins suddenly burst with laughter. Harry picked up his glasses off his nightstand and glanced at Ron's watch. It was after ten in the morning. He looked up at Kevin. "I hate you." Kevin's smile got even wider.

They went downstairs to find the entire Weasley family sitting in the dining room. Hermione and Ginny were already awake and sitting with everyone else. There was an empty seat by each of the girls, no doubt for Ron and Harry. Along with the Weasleys, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were sitting at the table. Lupin got up to greet the boys as they took their places. Kevin kissed his wife on her cheek and helped Molly set trays of food on the table.

Grabbing a handful of biscuits, Harry made sure his hand brushed Ginny's. She glanced over at him and gave him a small smile. Over the past couple of days, the two of them had been inseparable. They had gone exploring the village together, but had often stayed out for hours. Kevin had made sure they had at least an animal escort wherever they went, but he respected their privacy. Because the house was small, the entire Weasley family could not stay there overnight. Molly and Arthur had allowed Ron and Ginny to stay, since Harry and Hermione were also lodging there. Kevin and Sara had taken the final room, so there would be an adult influence in the house to keep order. The Hogwarts professors had been sure to watch out for any possible Death Eater presence in the village, but did not expect much to happen in a Muggle village.  
The house soon filled with joyous talk and laughter. Kevin's injuries had been healed and he looked as if the events of the last week hadn't done anything to him. He was talking with Arthur about the on-goings of the Ministry. "How many new Aurors have been sworn in lately?"

Arthur swallowed a mouthful of egg. "We had almost fifty candidates sworn in over the last month. Another thirty are ready to go into the field after their training is finished." 

Percy looked up from his plate. "Have you given Kevin the new Ministry edict, dad?" He enjoyed being able to talk with his family again.

"No, I'd forgotten all about it," Arthur said. "Thank you for reminding me." He got up and went into the living room.

"Arthur," Molly called after him. "Forget about that. Not on Christmas."

He came back in with a collection of parchment. "Oh, it's all right, Molly. It's something he's been waiting for. Kind of like a Christmas present." He handed the parchment to Kevin.

Flipping through them, Kevin's smile got wider and wider. "Thank you, Arthur. I'm going to enjoy this."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's permission to start a regime of training that was previously unavailable," Kevin explained. "I can now start training you all in something that will actually be useful. I can teach you how to deflect the killing curse."

All conversation stopped at that moment. Forks clanged to the table and all eyes turned towards Kevin. Harry got up the energy to speak. "Did you just say, you can teach us to deflect the killing curse?"

Kevin nodded. "Yes, I did?"

"As in, counter it?"

"I didn't say counter it, I said 'deflect' it." He put some butter on a biscuit and took a bite. When he didn't say anything else, Ginny picked up her own biscuit and lobbed it at his face. Kevin looked puzzled for a moment, and then understood. "Oh, you all want me to explain. Well, it's simple. I'm going to be teaching Hogwarts students how to protect themselves if the _Avada Kedavra_ curse is used on them. It's already being taught to the Aurors in the Ministry, but it works better if you've been taught it at a young age. The spell isn't perfect, but it does the job."

"Have you ever done it?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," he answered. "You all saw it that night at Hogwarts."

Harry thought for a minute. "Wait a minute. Are you talking about that white light that filled the hall?"

"That's the one. It's a variation of the Patronus charm mixed with about a dozen different spells. It's going to be difficult for my seventh year class, but Ginny, your year should pick it up pretty easily. As for Harry and the rest of you, it will take some time, but by your seventh year…"

"We're not going to be able to learn it till seventh year?" Ron suddenly blurted out. "Why so long?"

Kevin glanced over at him. "Because you still have a bit to learn before you can master this spell effectively. Even I still have a problem every now and then with it."

Molly tapped the table. "All right, enough talk about school and other things. Time for presents."

The table agreed, and they all got up. Molly, Tonks and Arthur quickly cleared the plates and joined everyone in the living room. Kevin and Sara had conjured up extra chairs for everyone to sit in as they gathered around the beautifully decorated tree. Ginny and Hermione had helped Sara with the decorations, and had enjoyed every minute of it.

Presents were soon being passed around the room and wrapping paper was flung to the floor. The twins had bought everyone different joke items, and Molly had made her traditional Weasley sweaters. She had even made one for Kevin and Sara, as well as the extra guests. When Harry gave Ginny her gift, he hoped that she wouldn't call too much attention to it. She opened the box, but failed to quiet a surprised squeal. All eyes turned towards her as she pulled out a silver chain with a small gem dangling at the end. Fred and George started chuckling and pointing at the gift.

Harry's face turned bright red. Ginny seemed not to notice as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Harry." He draped the chain around her neck and clasped it. The gem fell just below her throat. Hermione marveled at, not only the beauty of the gift, but Harry's thoughtfulness as well. She shot him an approving smile.

Morning soon became afternoon and the household did not calm down one bit. Charlie was telling anyone who would listen about the latest brood of dragons that had recently hatched before Christmas. Ron joked that they should have had Charlie send one of the eggs to Hagrid. He would have loved it. Lupin and Kevin were discussing different methods of teaching the new deflection technique. Kevin made the suggestion that Lupin return to Hogwarts and help with some of the classes, but the older wizard declined. He had business to take care of in another part of the country on Order business.

Harry and Ginny finally managed to steal a moment to themselves on the back porch. The temperature had dropped quite a bit, but it didn't bother them. It was just an excuse they used to huddle close together under a large fur blanket. They sat on a bench and looked out into the yard. Harry slipped an arm around her waist. "Do you really like your present?"

She leaned into him and planted a kiss on his lips. "I love it. I can't believe that you could get me something like this so soon, though. Where did you find it?"

"In Hogsmeade," he said. "At our last weekend, I stopped in that new jewelry store. The woman inside told me that the necklace would do wonders for me. I wanted to give it to you at the Christmas Ball but, with everything that happened, it was a bit hard."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for what's happened between us, Harry. I know that you never meant to hurt me, and I surely never meant to hurt you. I can't believe I said those things…"

Harry lifted a finger to her lips to quiet her. "Don't say another word. What happened in the past happened in the past. We don't need to dwell on it." He moved his finger to her chin and lifted her face to meet his. "All that matters is that I have you now. I don't need anything else." He leaned in for another kiss.

Sara stole a quick glance out of her bedroom window at the young couple sitting outside. Kevin came into the room holding a cup of tea for her. "How are they doing?" he asked.

She took the cup and sat down on the bed, leaning against the headboard. "They're fine. I'm glad the two of them finally decided to give one another a chance. It was getting hard seeing Ginny walk into my class with pain in her eyes. My heart kept breaking every time I saw that."

"Well, at least you didn't have to almost spell everything out for her," Kevin replied. "Harry just kept missing everything I tried to tell him." He leaned his head to one side. "Although it could have been that I was making no sense at all." He shrugged. "Anyway, at least it worked out between them." He sat down next to her.

Sara leaned into his chest. "Do you think it's safe to go back to Hogwarts? Do you think we can keep all the students from harm?"

He laid an arm around her shoulder. "I wish I could say for yes, but we both know that the fight is just going to get tougher and tougher from this point on. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."


	32. A Cup Of Tea

The second term at Hogwarts started at full steam when the students returned. Classes were not lightened and the workload seemed to have doubled.

The sixth year class, currently, was trudging through a particularly difficult potions lesson. Kevin had handed back the vials of the sight-enhancing potion they had turned in at the end of last term and was setting them to work on combining it with a potion that would enhance a person's hearing. He explained that there was no real difference between taking them separately and taking them together, except that the combining process required such skill that, if a student could handle this, they could handle most anything.

Kevin did not walk amongst the students as he normally did. His time at St. Mungo's, as well as his lingering injury was not known school-wide and, he didn't want to make the students nervous.

Prior to the start of term, Professor Dumbledore had told him that a number of owls had been sent to the school with concern about his continued presence. Dumbledore had done his best to alleviate the fears of the senders, and Arthur Weasley had used what influence he had on the Ministry council to see that Kevin kept his position. However, certain concessions had to be made on his part.

Kevin had been removed as head of security at Hogwarts. The Aurors patrolling the castle were now under the direct authority of Professor Snape. Kevin was not thrilled with the idea of losing his security force, but he stepped back gracefully.

The students had mixed feelings towards him. The Gryffindors, with a little prodding from Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, were firmly behind Kevin. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students did not openly reject him as a professor, but they were careful to make sure he never walked behind one of them. Of course, the Slytherins rejected him entirely.

When the final bell rang, Harry emptied his cauldron into a flask, marked it, and packed up his things. Just before he left the dungeon, he turned back to see Kevin struggling to make it to his feet. He would have stayed to help, but knew better. Kevin still had his pride.

He met Ginny on the way back up to Gryffindor tower. She smiled and lifted her chin a bit to show off the necklace dangling below her throat. Harry smiled back and slipped an arm around her waist. "Good day in classes?" he asked.

"All right, considering," she answered. "The teachers seemed to have come up with about a dozen new homework ideas over the holidays." They entered the tower, and took a seat near the fire. "These exams had better be worth it." She giggled.

Harry took out a bundle of parchment from his bag and handed it over to her. "Here, I found these while I was going through some old notes. It's a studying regime that Hermione made for Ron and me last year. I didn't look at it much, but she told us that it would be very useful." He smiled at the scornful glance Ginny gave him.

She glanced over the parchment. "Thanks, Harry." Tucking it into her bag, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to get some work done before dinner." Ginny walked back up to her dormitory. She knew that she would never get any work done with Harry in the same room. 

Harry walked over to the windowsill and looked out onto the grounds. He could see the Quidditch pitch, which was currently occupied. Looking closely, he could discern Malfoy's white-blonde hair whipping around the pitch. Malfoy appeared to have changed up his team roster. Crabbe and Goyle were still part of the team, but the larger chasers had been replaced with smaller, more agile flyers. Harry was looking forward to seeing how this new team would match up to Hufflepuff next weekend.

The match was actually an enjoyable one, all except for the outcome. 

The Slytherin team seemed to have abandoned their underhanded tactics and had chosen a civilized strategy for the game. There were still the usual fouls committed, but none were near the horrible one that Crabbe had done at the first match. Harry kept an arm around Ginny, who seemed to wince every time Crabbe swung his club. The memory of the injury was still fresh in her mind.

The match was back and forth the whole time, until Malfoy got hold of the Golden Snitch. The Slytherin portion of the stands cheered loudly, but the rest remained silent. Harry and Ginny walked back up to the castle, when a loud voice called out to them. "Oy there, Harry!" Harry looked around and saw Hagrid waving at him from his cabin.

He and Ginny walked over to him. "Hello, Hagrid. Anything wrong?"

Hagrid shook his head. "Nah, just wondering if you and Ginny had some time on your hands. Haven't seen much of you this year, 'cept in class. How'd you like some tea?" The kids followed the groundskeeper inside his hut. Hagrid started a pot of boiling water, and then took a seat at his table. Harry and Ginny joined. "How was the Quidditch match? I didn't get a chance to go me self, but it sounded like a fierce one."

"Yeah, it was," Harry said. "Hufflepuff put up a good fight, but this was Slytherin's day. I'm a bit glad that they did. I would love to squash them again in the finals."

"And I'd love to see you do it, Harry," Hagrid replied. "Especially after that underhanded attack Crabbe pulled. I've seen a bunch of Slytherins lead decent lives after they've left Hogwarts, but that one…and Malfoy, I just don't know about them." The pot started to steam. Hagrid got up and poured three cups that had tea bags in them. He handed one to Ginny and one to Harry. "So, Harry. How'd you like your special present?"

Harry knew he was referring to Godric's Hollow. "It was great. Now I don't have to go back to the Dursley's after the school year is over. What did you do over the holidays, Hagrid?"

Hagrid took a drink from his tea. "Went to France to see Olympe."

"Who?" Ginny asked. 

"Madame Maxine, from Beauxbatons Academy," Hagrid explained. "She and I spent some time together, and she helped me with Grawp a little." Ginny looked confused again. Hagrid had forgotten that she didn't know as much about what had been going on as Harry did. "He's my brother, Ginny. Been staying in the Forbidden Forest since last year. I've been teaching him to speak English and to control himself around humans. In a few months, Professor Dumbledore figures he'll be ready to go back to the giants and try to get them on our side."

"So they haven't pledged their loyalty to anyone, yet?" Harry asked.

"Nah. The leaders keep getting killed." Hagrid drained the last of his tea. "But enough about that. I come to hear that the two of you have started spending some time together. How's that going?"

Harry and Ginny suddenly blushed. Neither of them had expected this conversation from Hagrid. "It's going all right," Ginny finally said, her voice low.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Ginny," Hagrid said. "I've been wondering how long it would take for ol' Harry hear to get his wits about him and tell you how he feels. Been wondering about it all year, and I say, I'm happy for the both of you. But let me give you both a piece of advice.

"Be careful about sneaking around the castle at night. Teachers have caught many a couple when they were doing some 'late-night studying', except that they forgot their books. Even if you can avoid them though, them dogs of Professor Hall will get you. Why, just last term, Shawn was doing some patrols past midnight, when he came upon two Ravenclaws coming down from the Astronomy tower. Kevin didn't see a need to make it a public incident, but left it up to Professor Flitwick. Nonetheless, those two ain't been seen of bed after hours since."

Harry finished off his tea. "Hagrid, is there something special about the dogs? When we were studying them, did you notice anything peculiar about them?"

Hagrid thought. "Can't say I did, but in truth Harry, I never came across animals that were raised like these were. Special creatures, they are. Why do you ask?"

"We're just curious," Ginny answered. "We've noticed that they don't seem to act like normal animals. It was just a question." The bell rang for dinner, and Harry and Ginny got to their feet. "Coming, Hagrid?"

"Be along in a bit," he said.

The students left the hut and walked back up towards the castle, hand in hand. Hagrid stood at his window and watched them. "Reminds me of another young couple I saw discover their love here," he said, to himself. "Just as much in love as this one, they were.

"Hold on to her, Harry. You never know when the love of a good woman will come in handy."


	33. In The Shadows

"Harry! Over Here!"

Harry turned and saw Ron waving at him from across the street. He quickly rushed over to him, before the crowd of students forced him to lose sight of his friend. The streets of Hogsmeade seemed overly crowded today.

It was nearing the end of January and Professor Dumbledore had allowed Hogsmeade weekends to continue, despite the concern of Death Eater attacks. Auror activity had been increased, and the students were only allowed a few hours in the village. Hermione and Ginny had separated themselves from the guys in favor of a girl's weekend. This suited Harry and Ron fine, since they had decided to use this time to plan a Valentine's Day surprise for each of their significant others.

Harry finally reached his friend. "What did you find?"

Ron led him to a shop near the edge of the village. "This shop deals in seasonal items, and the season is Valentine's Day."

Harry looked inside. He saw a sign that read,

_Moonlit Dinner for Two, apparated directly to wherever you desire. See shop owner for more details. Hogwarts students must obtain permission for apparation from a professor. _

"It's a good idea, Ron," Harry said. "But how are we supposed to get this to the castle? Who would we get to approve it?"

Ron smacked Harry on his head. "Who's the only professor that has never been cruel to us, and is young enough to remember what it was like being sixteen?"

Kevin, Harry thought.

The guys quickly made their way back up to the castle. They were careful to avoid the cautious glances of Aurors, and went out of their way to avoid Professor Snape. The Potions Master was enjoying his new role as sole head of the castle defense force. He had made special arrangements, which kept most of the Aurors watching Gryffindor students. Snape had justified it by saying that, since Harry was in Gryffindor, it was necessary to keep that house under careful watch. Harry thought it was simply a way to make him feel like a prisoner. 

Eventually, Ron and Harry found themselves outside Kevin's office. Harry gently knocked.

"Come in."

They opened the door. Kevin was sitting at his desk, looking over a piece of parchment. He raised his head and, seeing the boys, tucked it away in a drawer. "What can I do for you two?"

"We're not disturbing you, are we?" Ron asked, suddenly nervous.

"Not at all," Kevin answered. "How come you're not still in Hogsmeade? You have until four."

Harry walked up to Kevin's desk and put a folded parchment in front of him. The professor took it and unfolded it. After looking over it for a minute, he smiled. "Where did you get this?"

"One of the shops in Hogsmeade."

"All right," Kevin said. "Tell you what, you two write down when and where you want this, and I'll get it approved."

"But it says it needs a professor's signature," Ron replied. "Can't you do it yourself?"

Kevin nodded. "Under normal circumstances, yes. But, given recent events, any decision I make concerning students, Harry in particular, would be called into question. Don't worry, though. Make a reasonable request and Professor Dumbledore will approve it. He knows how important Valentine's Day can be for students, so he's already making arrangements for you all to spend time with one another. If you want this delivered somewhere out on the grounds, he can see to it."

Ron's face turned red when he heard that the headmaster would know about his romantic involvement, but Harry just smiled. "Thanks, Kevin. We appreciate it."

As they started to leave the office, Kevin called back. "Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Harry turned around. Kevin suddenly had a serious expression on his face. "All right." He turned back to Ron. "I'll see you in a bit." Ron left the office, and Harry took a seat across from Kevin. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Kevin reached into his desk and pulled out the parchment he was looking at earlier. "Read this."

Harry took the parchment.

_Kevin,  
Harry isn't the target anymore. Voldemort knows that as long as his protectors are alive, the boy will have a strong defense. These protectors have to die before the Dark Lord will make another strike at Harry. Of course, if given the opportunity, he will still try to kill him. You and Sara are in danger, along with Harry's friends and the teachers at Hogwarts. You've got to be on your guard._

Voldemort is becoming obsessed with finding the secret of immortality again. He's even decided to start the same plan he used twenty-six years ago, but this time he's going to an extreme even I never thought he would go to. He's talking about using the Hogwarts students as stock. Be on your guard. Even with all the new charms in place, and the Aurors, he's going to do whatever he can to achieve his ends.

"Who sent this?" Harry asked.

Kevin shrugged. "I wish I knew. The handwriting is unfamiliar, and I don't know anyone who would have access to this kind of information. The only thing Professor Dumbledore and I can come up with is that someone in the top levels of Voldemort's inner circle has decided to work for us."

Harry stared at the parchment in disbelief. "What does this mean?"

Kevin reached over and took it from Harry. "It means that Voldemort has finally realized that trying to kill you head on isn't going to work. He needs to get you away from Hogwarts, away from your friends, and even, away from your own wand. He's looking back at every time he's come to within an inch of killing you, and seeing what it was that kept you alive. Voldemort has to strip you of everything you have before he'll risk coming after you."

Harry sat in shock. "So, this means my friends are in danger?"

Kevin nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what it means." He pulled out his wand and waved it above his desk. A miniature figure appeared. "This is you, Harry." He flicked his wand, and a bubble appeared around it. "And this is a protection that has been put in place to keep you safe." He flicked his wand again and more bubbles kept forming around the miniature Harry. "For each bubble, Voldemort has another obstacle to get through. Each one represents Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore, the Order, Sara and I, your friends, everything that has stood in between Voldemort and you. He now realizes that to get to you…" Kevin jabbed his wand at the outermost bubble, and it popped. "He has to get through…" Another bubble popped. "…each and…" another bubble, and another "…every one…" and another "…of these to get…" one left, and it popped "…to you."

Later that night, Harry sat beside Ginny near the fire. She was working on a Transfiguration essay, and Harry watched her work with intense concern.

After his talk with Kevin, Harry became more afraid then ever. Not for himself, though, but for his friends, and for Ginny in particular. If what the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had said was true, it was possible that Ginny could be in more danger then anyone else. If Voldemort decided to use the person closest to Harry as bait, then she was the logical choice. 

Harry hadn't had the nerve to ask what the second part of the note meant. He didn't want to think what else Voldemort might have planned for his friends.

Harry leaned over and slipped an arm around Ginny's waist. He drew her near to him and placed his chin on her shoulder, so their faces were only an inch apart. She was caught off-guard by his action. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" she asked with a slight giggle. Seeing the concerned look on Harry's face, she became serious. "Harry, what's wrong?"

He gently shook his head. "Nothing," he lied. "I just wanted to be closer to you for a moment." Ginny put down her quill and wrapped her arms around his waist. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The common room was virtually deserted, so they did not feel embarrassed by their blatant show of affection.

Harry rested his cheek on top of her head. _I will never let anything happen to you, Ginny. No matter what happens, I will give my life to keep you safe._


	34. On The Hilltop

Harry held Ginny close to him as they danced at the Valentine's Day Ball. Once again, the hall had been decorated extravagantly for the special occasion. There were many more couples at this dance then Harry had seen at the previous two. He guessed the spirit of the day was alive in even the younger students.

After only an hour, Harry led Ginny out of the Great Hall and towards the grounds. "What's the rush, Harry?" she asked. "We haven't even eaten yet."

Harry stopped and turned to her. His eyes took a moment to gaze at her flawless form in her beautiful ocean blue dress. He made a mental note to thank Sara and Hermione for picking out this dress with its unique features. It might be worth the extra five galleons to get the spell that would alter the cut of the dress, though she might be tempted to alter it in such a way that would make Mrs. Weasley faint and cause Harry's eyes to leave their sockets.

"I have a surprise for you."

They walked onto the grounds. Harry could see the telltale glimmer of candle lights placed across the grass. Apparently Ron and Harry had not been the only students that had taken notice of the shop in Hogsmeade. Harry hoped that the spot he had picked out for Ginny and him was secluded. Still holding her hand, he walked towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry could feel Ginny's grip tighten. "Don't worry, we're not going in there." Just before they reached the edge of the forest, Ginny felt a sensation wash over her, and they were suddenly on top of a hill.

She looked down from the hill and saw the castle below her. "How did we get up here? Did we just apparate?"

Harry smiled. "A little gift from Kevin to make sure we weren't followed. Snape would just love to spoil my surprise to you."

Ginny looked around the hilltop, and her breath caught in her throat. "Harry, this is wonderful."

A table was set on the hill, complete with linen tablecloth, candlelight, and a meal for two. Ginny walked over to it, and as she got closer, soft music started playing. She looked around for the source, but couldn't see where the music was coming from. Harry noticed her confusion. "A little something extra to add to the evening. Don't worry, no one else is around." He put his arms around her waist. "We won't be disturbed."

Harry led her in a little dance as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. "I can't believe you did all this, Harry. It's absolutely wonderful."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I did it all for you."

Though Harry had indeed tried his best to make sure he and Ginny were alone, someone was watching them from a distance. A hand-held telescope to his eye, Griff let out a disgusted grunt. "Absolutely nauseating." 

"What is?" Dragair said, from behind his brother.

Griff handed the telescope over. "That," he answered, pointing to the hilltop. "That boy and his wench." He drew out his wand. "It would be so easy to kill them both now."

Dragair swatted the raised wand. "And you would most likely be killed for it. Either by the Aurors or our treacherous brother, or worse yet by father himself. We have our orders to watch only. If we're going to find out who the traitor is, we have to watch everyone that might have had contact with him, and we both know that Kevin has taken a liking to young Harry. Besides, do you really think that Dumbledore would let his students wander about the grounds like this without some sort of protection? No doubt the instant we use our wands we'll be apparated directly to the Ministry of Magic, or something devious like that."

Griff twirled his wand. "It might be worth it if that annoying Potter boy is dead. Father would probably reward me. Without Potter to stand in his way, father would have no trouble conquering the rest of our world and then I would be free and he would honor me."

Dragair took the telescope and hit the back of Griff's head with it. "Are you truly so blind, or just stupid? I can't believe that you think one boy is really so powerful. If it were so easy to take over the country, father would have done it, Potter or no Potter. The only problem is that he has more ego then power, our father does. He wants the only people to have ever stopped him out of the way before he dares set one foot towards true conquest. If he was as smart as he thinks he is, father would move on this castle with all the Death Eaters, kill the boy, Dumbledore, and our brother, and then concentrate on the rest of the world."

Griff looked intently at Dragair. "You shouldn't speak of our father that way. If he got wind of it, then he might think you were passing along information to the Order, and that wouldn't look very good for you to succeed him."

Dragair scoffed. "The only person who is going to succeed him is himself, if he can help it. And I only speak of him this way because his obsession is going to lose this war and get himself killed. If we're not careful, we'll be killed along with him." A cold chill suddenly blew across the landscape. "Come on, Griff. I've had enough of this watching. The night air will take us if we stay any longer." He apparated away.

Griff took one last look back towards Harry and Ginny. "Enjoy this time, Potter and Weasley. When the day comes, I'll enjoy watching the both of you die." He flicked his wand in the direction of the couple in a mock spell, and then apparated.

Later that night, after Harry had taken Ginny back to Gryffindor tower, he walked back up to his dormitory and found Ron lying in his bed. The Weasley boy was still in his dress robes and he was wearing a large grin in his face. "I take it your night went well, Ron."

Ron looked over at Harry. "It was amazing. Kevin got us a great spot near the lake. Hermione loved every minute of it." He sat up. "And listen to this. She said that, when the weather warms up a bit, that she and I should go swimming. Have you ever seen what she looks like in a bathing suit?" Harry shook his head. "Neither have I, but I'm looking forward to finding out." His grin got wider.

Harry and Ron changed out of their dress robes into their pajamas. After a few moments of silence, Ron had to ask, "So how did it go with Ginny?"

Harry was a bit reluctant to discuss his romantic evening with his date's older brother, but since Ron had been willing to share. "She loved it. The hilltop, the music, everything was perfect. If it weren't for the air suddenly turning cold, we might have stayed out there all night, which is what I was kind of hoping for."

Ron's face suddenly had an expression of shock. "Harry, you weren't going to try anything with my sister, were you?"

"No," Harry said, quickly. "Nothing like that, this was the first real date that she and I have had. Sure, we've spent time in the common room, but we've never really been alone together. I just didn't want the night to end." He saw that Ron still had a skeptical look on his face. "Don't worry, Ron. I would never do anything that was improper to your sister, because your mother would kill me…or your brothers…or Ginny…whichever of them got to me first." He let out a small laugh.

Ron's face relaxed. "Can't argue with you on that."

"Kevin, how long are you going to stand by that window?" Sara asked, from the bed.

Kevin was leaning against the windowsill, staring out onto the now empty grounds. "I just wanted to make sure we didn't have any stragglers still out there." He turned around and looked at his wife. Sara was now more than three months pregnant, but she never looked better. He closed the window and got into bed beside her. "Sara, I think you should go back to America for the time being."

Sara let out of sigh of frustration. "We've been over this, Kevin. I'm not going anywhere, and neither is our baby. Just because someone sends an anonymous letter saying the Voldemort is starting up some twenty-six year old scheme…"

"A twenty-six year old scheme that puts you and our baby in danger!" Kevin replied, with a tone of frustration. "And I can't be sure that I'll always be there to watch out for you."

Sara leaned over and placed a hand on his cheek. "Stop it, Kev. I can take care of myself, pregnancy or no pregnancy. I don't have to run around to cast a spell. You just worry about yourself, and make sure Harry stays out of trouble." She placed a kiss on his lips.

"All right," Kevin said. "I know better then to argue with you when you actually make sense. Just promise me one thing." She nodded. "When you get closer to having our baby, stay where it's safe. Either in the castle or somewhere else, just never where he can get you. Please?"

She kissed his lips again.


	35. Hogsmeade Under Seige

Ginny was snuggled in close to Harry's chest, asleep. He wished that she could stay like that forever. This moment they shared in the common room was one that Harry didn't want to end.

But it did.

The castle rocked with an explosion and the dark night sky was lit with orange flame. Ginny stirred from her slumber. "What's happening?" She seemed disoriented and confused.

Harry leapt to his feet and ran to the window. His eyes widened in horror. "Hogsmeade is on fire."

Professor Dumbledore walked among the charred remains of the once prosperous wizard town, Hogsmeade. Buildings were left in rubble, glass was spread across the ground, and smoldering embers still burned in places. Aurors were seen surveying damage and looking for survivors of this horrible conflagration. Dumbledore made his way over to a wizard who was looking over a destroyed building. "So the informant was speaking truth, wasn't he?"

Kevin nodded, but didn't meet Dumbledore's eyes. "I'm having the Aurors search the grounds for bodies. They'll find a few "corpses", and we'll slip some information to the Daily Prophet. No one outside of Hogwarts needs to know that this village was deserted."

Dumbledore nodded. Two days ago, Kevin had received another letter detailing an imminent attack on Hogsmeade. Dumbledore had, quietly, evacuated the village shortly thereafter. It was the hope of the headmaster that Voldemort would think the informant failed to tell his plans to Dumbledore, and the informant would continue to pass on information. If this ruse worked, then that would be exactly what happened.

"What do you suppose he has to gain from attacking this village?" Dumbledore asked.

Kevin shook his head. "Probably just to show us that he still has a few ways onto the grounds. Snape has had reports from some of the Aurors about Death Eater sightings at the edges of the protection charms. Not to mention that this is going to rattle the students, Harry most of all."

"I'm sure that the Ministry will be sending me a letter about this incident tomorrow."

Albus was correct.

The Ministry of Magic sent an owl at first light the next morning. The Council had decided that, if one more incident happened that threatened the lives of the students, then Hogwarts would be shut down.

"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen! Today's match features Gryffindor against Hufflepuff! This proves to be an exciting match-up and we will surely see the better team emerge victorious!"

Harry was leaning against the wall of the Gryffindor team's locker room. _It must be nice, Colin…_ he thought. _…to be able to see things from the sidelines._ Ginny walked over to him. "Harry, stop thinking about it," she said. "There's nothing to be done by worrying over Hogsmeade. We have to concentrate on the match today."

He looked into her eyes. "You're right," he replied, but didn't smile.

They were eventually called to the field. The stands were raucous with applause and cheers, though they were somewhat forced. The school tried with all its heart to continue on after the Hogsmeade attack, but the students were genuinely afraid. Kevin was avoided in the corridors more so now then he had been at the start of term. He seemed to catch the blame for all the bad things that had happened at Hogwarts all year.

Harry had been trying to get more information out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he was hard to find these days. Sara was only around at meal times and during classes, but her pregnancy kept her secluded.

The Quidditch match seemed to go on forever.

Neither Gryffindor nor Hufflepuff seemed to have much competition in them this day. The end only came after Harry managed to grab the Snitch, well away from Hufflepuff's Seeker. The crowd cheered enthusiastically for the two teams, and then filed out of the stadium.

Harry was the last person to leave the pitch, or so he thought.

He walked to the center of the field and took out his wand. With some quick motions, he mocked casting a series of different spells and charms. Harry never knew that someone else was on the pitch with him until he spoke.

"Would you like some actual targets?"

Harry spun around fast and saw Kevin and Sara standing twenty feet away. He felt a little embarrassed that someone had caught him, but he hid it. "What did you say?"

Kevin walked closer to him. "I said, would you like some actual targets?" He took out his wand and waved it over the field. A series of large wooden figures sprung up from the grass. "Use these." He walked back over to his wife.

Harry stared at wooden targets for a moment. "What are these supposed to do?"

"They'll help relieve some of the stress you've been feeling," Sara answered. "You looked like you could use an outlet for your feelings."

Harry fingered his wand for a moment. Staring at the targets, he raised it. _"Incendio!"_ A stream of fire shot out from the tip of the wand and engulfed one of the targets. He turned towards another target. _"Bombarda!"_ Another figure was blown to pieces.

Harry kept using different spells on different targets. When it seemed like he had destroyed them all, Kevin conjured up new ones, this time, though, with enemies faces on the targets. Seeing these new ones, Harry used more powerful spells. He started to become angry when they would keep coming back. _Why won't they just stay down? Why does he have to keep sending them back to get me?_

Target after target was destroyed and re-conjured, and Harry became angrier and angrier. Finally, when it seemed that the last figure had been destroyed, a tall and menacing shadow loomed over him. An eight-foot tall figure that resembled Voldemort stood proudly over Harry. It took him a moment to find a curse that would be appropriate to destroy this target.

_"Avada Kedavr…"_

_"Expelliarmus!"_

Harry's wand flew from his hand and landed in Kevin's. He looked over at the older wizard with a menacing glare. Kevin simply glanced back. "Feel better?"

Harry turned his head away. "No."

"Because he's still in one piece?" Kevin asked. "Because you're enemies keep appearing no matter what you or I or anyone does? Is the complete destruction of everyone you hate the only thing that will make you feel better?"

Harry nodded. "Maybe it will."

Kevin tossed the wand back to Harry. "Then do it." Harry looked confused for a minute. "Do it," Kevin repeated. "Kill him."

Harry turned back to the Voldemort target. He raised his wand. _"Avada…Avada K…Avada Kedav…"_ He lowered his wand. "Why is it so hard now? I was ready to do it a minute ago."

Sara walked up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look again."

He raised his eyes and saw Ginny's figure standing before him. "How…what…"

"If you're blinded by hate, you may forget who are your friends and who are your enemies," she said. "Whatever happens, you can't let your feelings blind you. Hate, anger and depression are just what Voldemort is hoping to inflict you with so you don't think straight, and you won't protect your friends. Instead, you may be their downfall."

Harry looked into the eyes of the figure. They seemed to be pleading at him to stop whatever he was about to do.

Harry walked back to the castle and quickly went up to the common room. He found Ginny, Ron and Hermione sitting near the window. Walking quickly over to them, he took Ginny in his arms and kissed her strongly. Ron and Hermione turned their heads so as not to stare.

When the two broke, Ginny looked into his eyes. "Mind if I ask what that was about?"

Harry locked his gaze with hers. "I need to talk with you." He turned to the others. "All of you."


	36. The Cave

The Room of Requirement was silent as two lone figures sat on a sofa. They did not speak with one another, nor did they look at each other. In fact, they kept their distance from one another. A few minutes before, there had been four people in the room, but two had since left. Now, Harry and Ginny were the only ones there. He had just finished telling her, as well as Ron and Hermione, about the informant and how they were all now targets of Voldemort's followers.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Harry?" Ginny asked. "Why did you keep this to yourself?"

Harry lifted his head to glance at her. "I didn't want to worry any of you. I thought… I thought it would be best." He reached over to try and take her hand, but she pulled away.

"That wasn't your decision, Harry," she answered. "And it wasn't Kevin's either. You both should let us know if something was threatening us." She got to her feet. "I remember last year how you felt trapped and betrayed when no one would tell you anything about what was happening outside in the real world, so you know how it feels to find out that someone has been trying to get you, but you didn't know about it. So why would you do the same thing to your friends…and to me?"

He could see tears forming in her eyes. "I did it because I know what it feels like. If you all knew then you'd act paranoid and be afraid at every shadow. That's no way for you all to live." Harry stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. "But maybe I underestimated how strong you all are. I guess I get a little arrogant sometimes."

Ginny raised her head. "Harry, stop keeping us away from whatever it is you're dealing with. I love you, and Ron and Hermione are your best friends. We decided a long time ago to face whatever is out there together. If you love me, and if you value their friendship, then you have to stop acting like your feelings are the only ones that matter. We can help you, and we can take care of ourselves. You just have to let us."

"I know I do," he said.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Listen, Easter Holiday is coming up soon. Why don't we all leave the school and go back to the Burrow? Mom and Dad would love to see all of us, and we could use the time away."

Harry rested his cheek on her head. "Sounds like a good idea."

The school gathered at the recently rebuilt Hogsmeade train station. The town was far from being restored to its former beauty, but repair was moving along.

The group took a compartment near the rear of the train. Ginny sat down beside Harry. "It looks like Hogsmeade may be rebuilt by next year."

"I hope so," Hermione answered. "I'd miss the weekend visits every now and then. They offer a nice distraction from the massive school load."

Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "If Hogsmeade isn't enough of a distraction, I'm sure that I can provide the rest." Hermione's cheeks turned red.

The train got under way soon after the students finished boarding. It was a quiet trip, quite uncommon with their past experiences on the Hogwarts Express. Usually, students would be bounding up and down the corridors, but not this trip. The train was quiet except for the rumbling of the engine and the clanking of the wheels. Ginny leaned back to rest in Harry's arms and slowly drifted off to sleep.

She wasn't sure exactly how long she was asleep, but when she awoke, she could sense something was amiss. "Where are we?" she asked.

The others hadn't been paying attention, but when they looked out the window, they noticed a very different view outside. They usually passed by mountains on the east side of the train, so it would make sense that those same mountains would pass by on the west side, but that was not the case. The mountains were on the south side, which meant that they were heading farther north, away from London. Hermione got to her feet. "We're going the wrong way."

Harry tried to open the compartment door so he could see the conductor about what was going on, but found it stuck. He tugged harder, but it would not budge. "We're trapped." He took out his wand. "_Alohomora!_" The spell had no effect. He tried it another three times, but they were useless as well.

"Could we try something stronger?" Ron asked.

"Not without almost killing us as well," Hermione answered. "Any weaker spell would surely be blocked." She looked out the window again. "And I don't think it would matter. We seem to have reached wherever we're going."

The compartment suddenly got darker as the train suddenly changed direction and entered a crevice in the mountains. It slowed to a halt at a make shift platform cut from the tunnel rock that the train had entered. Harry peered out the window and saw dozens of black-robed wizards exiting from holes cut in the rock face to make corridors. They all wore skull masks and brandished wands at the train.

A loud voice boomed throughout the train. "Leave your wands in your compartments, and exit the train! Any resistance will be met with deadly force!"

Harry pulled out his wand. "We can't leave these behind. We'll be defenseless."

Ginny put a hand on his. "If we take them, we'll be killed." He looked at her with shock. Her eyes pleaded with him. "Harry, we'll get out of this, but not if we provoke them."

The door swung open and a Death Eater stepped into the compartment. "Let's go. Leave your wands."

The students dropped their wands onto the seats and walked out. Other students were filing out of separate compartments, led by other Death Eaters. The students were visibly afraid, especially the younger students. Harry wished that he could do something to stop this, but he knew that that kind of rash behavior would only get him, and possibly a lot of other people, killed.

They all stood together on the platform. Harry glanced around and saw Griff and Dragair emerge from the tunnels. "Separate males from females, and then place the younger students back on the train," Griff told the Death Eaters.

Soon, Death Eaters began grabbing female students and pulling them off to one side. Ginny and Hermione were dragged away. Harry tried to follow them, but was pulled back by a large Death Eater. Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "Wait, mate. Look."

Harry turned his head in the direction Ron was looking. He saw Kevin being pulled off the train by Raven and a cadre of Death Eaters. The four housedogs were also with him, but each one was muzzled and held on a leash. Kevin appeared calm, but Harry was confused. "I didn't even know he was on the train," he said to Ron.

"Me neither," Ron answered. "But if he's here we might have a chance."

The younger students were put back on the train, while Death Eaters led the older ones through the rock tunnels. The boys and the girls were kept separated from one another; Harry kept looking around for a glimpse of Ginny. They were led to a large opening in the tunnel, which could have resembled a meeting hall. The girls were forced to stand on the far left side of the room, while the boys stood on the right side. A raised platform stood at the front of the room.

Griff, Dragair, and Raven walked to that platform and were soon joined by Sylvain. The Death Eaters positioned themselves around the groups of students. No one spoke out of fear.

After only a minute, a cold wind swept over the room. From a crevice beside the platform, Voldemort walked into the room. His blood-red eyes looked out onto the frightened mass of students before him. "Welcome students," he said, with a sinister grin. "I welcome you to my temporary home. I hope that my followers treated you with care and respect." He looked out into the crowd. "But I can see that you all are frightened, and I cannot have that." He waved his hand at the Death Eaters. "You may all leave." The Death Eaters looked uncertain, but soon filed out of the room.

"Now that we are all alone," Voldemort said. "I have brought you all here to offer you a chance of a lifetime. For you young wizards, I offer you an apprenticeship. You can all be taught by the most powerful wizards in the world, and can become powerful yourselves." He turned to the girls. "And for you beautiful witches, I offer you the chance to give birth to the next generation of Death Eaters."

Each girl gasped in shock, and Harry's face suddenly became red with anger. He almost couldn't believe what he had just heard. Voldemort, the most powerful Dark Wizard in centuries, was offering the female students of Hogwarts the chance to become concubines for the Death Eaters. It was disgusting to Harry.

Voldemort started pacing along the platform. "Now don't think that this offer is just for you experienced and older students. I, of course, will make the same offer to the younger students that are still on the train, but I feel that you deserve the first chance to accept." He stopped pacing. "But I can see that some of you may have some doubts. Very well, then I will show you what will happen if you refuse me. Bring him in."

From the back of the room, three Death Eaters walked in leading a shackled Kevin to the platform. The dogs were also brought in, but they were left near the entrance. One of the Death Eaters broke off from the other two and walked into the crowd of boys. He took Harry by his arm and led him up to the platform.

Kevin remained shackled, but he did not seem concerned. Voldemort paced in front of them both. "Here we have two examples of the fool's way to live in this world." He waved a hand by Kevin. "This one rejected the life I gave him. Power was at his fingertips, but he threw it all away for what, a teaching post at a school led by a Muggle loving fool." Kevin spat at Voldemort's feet. The Dark Wizard seemed not to notice as he moved on to Harry. "And this boy, he is the future of the downward spiral that our people are already in. Follow his path and you will know only pain and suffering."

"Why do this Voldemort?" Kevin suddenly asked. "Why offer these kids, most of them who are not pure-blood, a place in your organization? Have you gone soft in your old age?" Kevin cocked his head to the side.

Griff walked over and punched his brother in the stomach. Kevin doubled over.

Voldemort leaned in close so his voice did not carry through the whole room, but Harry could still hear. "I may be old, but I have learned much from my past mistakes. These filthy mudbloods and Muggle lovers are nothing more to me then stand-ins for my own loyal Death Eaters. If I can sacrifice them instead my trust-worthy followers, then I will. As for the girls, well…" He turned his head to look at them. "Being a Death Eater is a lonely profession."

Kevin struggled to get up again, but was held down by Griff, and now, Raven. Harry could hardly believe what he was hearing. Voldemort was trying to recruit students so he wouldn't have to use his own Death Eaters in the war, and what made it worse, was that he wanted the girls as concubines; it made Harry sick that Voldemort had sunk this low. He couldn't bear to think of Ginny in a bed with some disgusting dark wizard.

"And maybe one of them will be worthy enough to bear my offspring," Voldemort said.

This shook Harry out of his thoughts. He remembered something that had been in the back of his mind for a long time. It struck him. _He's doing the same thing he did when Kevin was born. He's going to transfer his power to someone who's carrying his child._ It was the same thing that had been done twenty-six years ago, and it was starting up again. 

"Voldemort," he said, surprised that he had the guts to say anything in this situation.

The Dark Lord straightened up and looked over at him. "What do you want, boy?"

Harry almost swallowed his tongue. "I know what your planning and…" He fell short of breath. "And I won't let you do it." Even as the words left his mouth, he didn't believe a word of it, but he knew he had to say something. He was not going to stand by and let this happen. He felt that he wouldn't be standing much longer.

Voldemort's lips suddenly curled up into a smile. "Potter, you are only alive because you have an uncanny ability to be very lucky. However, at this point, your luck may have run out. You have no wand, your friends are powerless, and Dumbledore has no idea that you are in my possession. Tell me, what is there to stop me from killing you at this point?" He took out his wand. "Perhaps I now have the chance I have waited for patiently for sixteen years."

Harry stopped breathing. He couldn't think of anything that could stop Voldemort at this point. If no one knew where he was, if Kevin was shackled then no one could stand up to the Dark Lord. Even if his friends tried to rush the platform, Voldemort could kill half of them before they got halfway there. He was defenseless.

"Can you think of nothing, Potter?" Voldemort asked. "Then, once and for all…die."

He raised his wand…

…and then Harry heard something swish through the air. An arrow flew past his face and went through Voldemort's raised hand. The Dark Lord dropped his wand and tried to restrain a cry of pain. Harry looked back in the direction the arrow had come from.

At the back of the room, he saw a red-haired woman aiming a crossbow at the platform. Standing beside her was a man with chestnut hair holding a large battle-axe in both of his hands. Another man with sandy brown hair brandished a broad sword in his right hand. Finally, a dark-haired woman joined the group with a quarterstaff that had curved blades at each end.

Harry had no idea where these new people had come from, but he was grateful nonetheless. Voldemort stared at his hand, which still had the arrow in it. He could barely talk. "What…who…"

Kevin looked up, and smiled. "You left the dogs alone. Big mistake." Voldemort looked at him, not understanding. "Don't get it?" Kevin said.

"They're Animagi."


	37. Expect The Unexpected

Everything happened in the blink of an eye to Harry.

The four Animagi rushed the front stage, so quick that the Death Eaters and Voldemort almost didn't have enough time to arm themselves. Lita aimed her crossbow at the platform and released a few more arrows. Griff and Raven were forced to dive out of the way. Shawn swung his battle-axe downward towards Voldemort's head, but Sylvain cast a disarming spell to knock it from his hands.

Not at all shocked, Shawn draws a wand form inside his cloak and cast a stunning spell at Sylvain. 

Stacy moved quickly over to Harry. "Get the kids back to the train," she said. "Quickly."

Harry wasn't sure what he should do, but he seemed to be doing something. He bounded down the platform and started shouting. "Everyone, back to the train! Hurry!"

The other students needed little encouragement to leave the enraging battle that was being waged in front of them. They ran through the stone tunnels in the opposite direction they had been led through earlier. However, the group had not gone thirty feet before a horde of Death Eaters stopped them in the tunnel.

No one moved.

Harry knew that they could not duel here, without wands, but there were a great many more students then there were Death Eaters. Maybe there was something they could do.

"Tackle them!" he yelled out.

As one, the students collided with the waiting dark wizards and forced them to the ground. A few Death Eaters tried to cast spells, but could not get the incantation out before a young wizard pushed them down. They trampled the Death Eaters and continued on towards the train.

The train was guarded when the students had been taken off, but now it deserted. Death Eater bodies lay on the platform, unconscious. Harry looked around, expecting to see Aurors somewhere, but only saw younger students with wands brandished. One third-year boy looked up at Harry as he approached. "They didn't take away our wands. We thought we could do something."

Harry was impressed. Snape must have been a better teacher then he thought. The older students helped the younger ones back onto the train, after they retrieved their wands from the compartments they were left in. They formed a perimeter around the train, waiting for Kevin and the others to come back down the tunnel.

The focus of the students was so intense, that no one seemed to notice one Death Eater regaining consciousness. He stirred slightly, but made no obvious move. Hermione was walking along the side of the train. When she got close to the revived Death Eater, he jumped to his feet and threw an arm around her throat. She screamed, suddenly, and tried to wriggle herself free from his grip. The others turned to see what was happening. Ron and Harry aimed their wands, but did not attack.

"No one make a move," the Death Eater said. "Unless you want this mudblood dead, I suggest you put your wands down." They all lowered their wands. "Good, good. Now, don't follow us, or she's as good as dead." He slowly backed towards the stone wall. Reaching behind himself with his free hand, he pushed a portion of the wall in, and a new tunnel opening appeared. He dragged Hermione through the opening, as it closed after them.

Ron and Harry ran after them. They started patting the wall, looking for the spot that the Death Eater had pushed to open the tunnel. "Where is it?" Ron said, to himself. "Where is the blasted thing?"

Ginny ran over and helped them look for the switch. Ron's hand suddenly sunk into the wall and the tunnel opened. He turned to his sister. "Ginny, stay here." She started to protest. "Don't say anything. When Kevin gets here, tell him to find us." He waved at Harry. "Let's go."

Harry was impressed at Ron's attitude. He followed his friend through the opening.

Kevin kicked at the wall that Voldemort and his sons had just escaped through. "A secret opening," he said. "Typical coward behavior." He turned to the Animagi. "Fifty bucks says there are about a thousand of these in this mountain. Any takers?"

They all shook their heads. "No way, Kevin," Chris said. "We're not chumps."

Kevin smiled. They all ran from the room, down the tunnel towards the train. Soon after, they came upon a cluster of fallen Death Eaters. They tiptoed over the bodies, not wanting to kick one of them awake. "Guess the kids found a way to fight," Lita said. When they reached the train platform, they found more Death Eaters unconscious and the students forming a protective line around the train. "What have you been teaching these kids, Kev?" Lita asked.

Kevin looked as amazed as she did. "Well, I expected that they would be able to take on a few Death Eaters, but I didn't expect this."

They walked towards the train as Ginny ran up to them. "Hermione was taken! Ron and Harry went after her! Through the wall!"

Kevin put his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down, Ginny. What happened?"

Ginny took a breath. "A Death Eater grabbed Hermione and dragged her through an opening in the wall. Ron and Harry went to find them."

"Show me."

She led him over to the spot where the Death Eater had gone through. Pressing a spot on the wall, the opening slid away. Chris looked down the tunnel. "Good thing we didn't take that bet."

Kevin turned to Ginny. "Stay here and get the conductor ready to take the train out of here. We'll go find the others."

Ginny did not argue as the older wizards ran through the secret tunnel.

Hermione was dragged through the tunnels by her arm. Her wrists were bound behind her back and her wand had been taken from her. The Death Eater moved at a quick pace, and twice she had tripped and fallen. Her lip had been busted open from falling, and blood was running down her chin.

He came to an enclosed cavern and pushed her inside. Her shoulder hit the wall, causing her to cringe in pain and tears to form in her eyes. She wasn't sure why she had been taken this far into the mountain, but the words of Voldemort from earlier rung loud in her ears.

Was this Death Eater going to do something to her? Was she going to be violated? As strong as she tried to be, Hermione was helpless and afraid.

The Death Eater poked his head into the corridor, looked around and then walked back into the cavern. He glared at her with a menacing stare. "Do you know who I am, mudblood?"

Hermione couldn't understand what he meant, but she tried to remember. His face was familiar, but she couldn't remember from where. She was too terrified for her own self to think clearly. "No…I can't…"

His lips curled into a smile. "How could you forget me? We met almost one year ago at the Ministry of Magic. You were very special to me, in that you were the first one to fall victim to one of my own curses. Only wizards that train for years can create spells and curses, and those that are trained can only create a few. I have the unique gift in that I have created several curses of my own. The one I used on you was the first of my creation, and it should have been the first of many that I would use to aid my Dark Lord in his conquest.

"But because of your mudblood and Muggle-loving friends, I and my fellow Death Eaters were held in Azkaban Prison and all our efforts were for nothing." He walked over to her and stroked her cheek with his hand. She trembled under his touch. "Now, though, I can see the results of my curse in its entirety."

Hermione was in complete terror now. This Death Eater was Antonin Dolohov, the Death Eater that had cursed her in the Department of Mysteries. This was the man that Kevin had warned her about. He had failed to kill her then, so he was going to do it now. It was no longer her body she feared for, but her life.

Dolohov stepped back from her, and drew his wand. "Your friend Potter has an uncanny ability to be saved at just the right moment, but is the same true for you? We shall see." 

Harry followed Ron as he ran down the stone corridor. He was amazed at how fast his friend was moving; though, if it had been Ginny that had been taken, he would probably be running as fast as Ron was.

They followed the twisting tunnel for what seemed like hours on end. There were no side passages that Hermione could have been taken down. If there was another secret passage, there was no way that they could have known. What was worse, in Harry's opinion, was if they happened to run into Voldemort or one of the other Death Eaters. 

The tunnel kept going on deeper into the mountains, but they didn't bother following it. They had found a side cavern with two people inside, one standing and another lying on the ground. Ron stepped inside, mouth open but no sound coming from it.

Harry leaned down over the fallen body. Hermione stood over them both with her wand in her hand. She was shaking from head to toe with tears in her eyes. Ron put his hands on her shoulders. "Hermione, are you ok?" She didn't answer. "Hermione?" he said again. "What happened?"

"Ron," Harry said, drawing his friend's attention away from his girlfriend. "This is Antonin Dolohov.

"And he's dead."


	38. Hermione's Stand

The Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade station and was quickly boarded by Aurors and Medical Wizards looking for wounded students or stowaway Death Eaters. The kids were ushered off the train and, while most were taken back up to the castle, a select few were taken to a newly re-built building in the village.

Ron held Hermione close while they followed the Auror through the streets of Hogsmeade. Harry and Ginny followed close behind, but neither said anything. They had all been silent since leaving the cavern where the Death Eaters had kept them prisoner.

When Ron and Harry found Hermione standing over the dead body of Antonin Dolohov, both were speechless. Hermione said nothing as they tried to ask her what had happened, and she wouldn't even move until Kevin and the Animagi had found them and brought them back to the train. Ginny was especially ignorant of everything, but there was little anyone could tell her.

They were brought to the recently rebuilt Three Broomsticks pub and shown to a room on the upper floor. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were already seated in the room. "Please sit," Dumbledore said, indicating a sofa. The students did as they were told. "I know that you all must have many questions, but I must ask you to indulge us. You all know much more of what went on in the cavern then we do, so if you could explain what has happened, I would appreciate it."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Neither knew where to start, or how much to tell the headmaster. Harry finally spoke and told them everything he could remember. It was fresh in his mind, but he didn't like the idea of reliving the incident. When he finally came to the part when he and Ron found Hermione standing over a dead Dolohov, he stopped.

The headmaster listened carefully. "I see," he said. "This is a most disturbing turn of events. As you all well know, an informant within Voldemort's followers has been sending information to us for some time. This incident was one such thing that we were made aware of, which is why Kevin and the Animagi were aboard the train. However, the Aurors were supposed to protect the train and make sure no student was taken off.

"I admit, that it was foolish of us to put innocent lives in danger, but this was our best chance to capture the Dark Lord." Dumbledore lowered his head. "Pride does not only corrupt the wicked."

Professor McGonagall looked over at the students. "Miss Granger, can you tell us what happened when you were taken away by Antonin Dolohov?"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't…don't want to…"

Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Please tell us, Hermione."

"I can't…"  
"Hermione," Dumbledore said, raising his head. "Whatever happened in the cavern does not matter, but we need to know."

Hermione's eyes started to fill with tears. Ginny handed a handkerchief over to her. Accepting it, she dabbed her eyes and started to speak. 

He stood with his wand pointed at her, a menacing glare in his eyes. She knew what he was going to do, and she couldn't think of anything to do that would stop him. Her wand was in his robes, and there was no one nearby to stop the Death Eater. Her mind was blank as she tried to think of any way she could save herself.

Dolohov didn't make any move. "It seems that no one will be coming to your rescue. I was hoping to have more subjects to test this curse on, but you will have to do."

"Wait!" she suddenly screamed. Dolohov stopped and looked at her quizzically. "Please, don't do this. I'll do anything you want. Just don't kill me." Tears started welling up in her eyes.

The Death Eater smiled. "Typical of a mudblood, begging for her life. What would I ever want from you?"

Hermione had no answer for that. There was nothing she could, or would want to offer him. She only wanted to buy herself some time. Her eyes darted around the cave, quickly, but there was nothing she could find that would be of use. Added to that, her hands were still bound behind her back. Dolohov raised his arm to cast a spell…and she saw it.

Her wand.

For the first time, Hermione didn't think, didn't plan anything. She just kicked. Her foot buried itself in the Death Eaters abdomen, which forced him to double over. Hermione spun quickly and reached for her wand. She managed to grab it and cast a spell to free her hands.

Dolohov recovered and shot a spell that knocked her back against the cavern wall. Her vision was blurred as pain shot up her spine, but she could just see her enemy raise his wand again. He started chanting something she couldn't understand.

Hermione acted. She cast a stunning spell, but he managed to deflect it with a shield charm. She tried a few other spells, but Dolohov was an experienced wizard. No matter how many books she had read, it would be no match for him. 

His chanting continued until he said a word that Hermione did recognize, _excessus._ Her mind cleared as she realized that, whatever this curse did, it would kill her in the end. She tried, once again, to think of something she could do to save herself. Everything she had ever learned, she had already tried and it had not saved her. _But maybe…_ There was one other thing she knew that would stop him, but she couldn't do it. It wasn't possible that she could pull off such a powerful spell.

Dolohov's chanting became louder as he neared completion of his curse. A bright purple light glowed from the tip of his wand. Hermione knew that light; it had haunted her in her dreams, had nearly killed her a year ago, and was ready to do so again. It was now or never.

She composed herself, and raised her wand. Dolohov stared at her with a curious glance. His incantation was complete, but he did not finish the curse. "Have you another pathetic spell that you think will save your life? After only another word, my curse will tear you apart from the inside out."

"Never," she whispered.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

"His eyes got so big when he realized what I was doing," Hermione explained. "He never knew what was coming." She dabbed the tears from her eyes again.

Dumbledore listened closely, only nodding every now and then. "I see," he said. "So that is how Antonin Dolohov died."

Harry was confused at Dumbledore's relaxed voice. Hermione had used an Unforgivable Curse against another wizard, an offense that carried a life sentence in Azkaban Prison. It may have been used against a Death Eater, but it still had been used.

Dumbledore seemed to have read Harry's mind. "You need not fear, Miss Granger. There will be no punishment from the Ministry for what you have done. You acted out of self-defense, not out of malice." Hermione looked up at the headmaster. He smiled, "What has been done this day will no doubt be with you for many years, but you must not worry. You have shown that you have the courage to fight, which is what Voldemort fears the most. He had hoped to make you all frightened and unwilling to oppose him, but he was shown that there are more people against him then he had realized."

The door to the room opened at that instant. Kevin and the four Animagi entered, each looking concerned. Dumbledore got to his feet. "What has happened?"

"Voldemort is already retaliating," Kevin answered. "His forces in Northern Ireland and Germany have launched counter-strikes. We have reports that an army is massing in the mountain area where we were taken. I sent Avis with a message to the Ministry asking for help, but I don't think they'll be able to spare much."

Dumbledore nodded. "Possibly. Our forces are pulled thin these days." He looked over at the students. "You've just missed an interesting tale from Miss Granger, I'm afraid."

Kevin shook his head. "Not really. We were listening outside the door, but we didn't want to interrupt." He took a seat, as did the Animagi. "They've answered our questions, Dumbledore. It seems only right that we answer some of theirs." Dumbledore nodded in agreement as he sat back down.

The Animagi took seats as well. "I think I know what their first question is, Kevin," Lita said.

Kevin nodded. "As you well know by now," he started. "The housedogs are actually Animagi. I made everyone think they were simply enchanted animals to fool any spies that Voldemort might have inside our ranks. No one beside myself, Sara and Professor Dumbledore knew the truth."

Chris folded his arms. "The hardest part was acting like dogs despite our human minds. We kept wanting to do things that people do, but we had to keep the disguise up."

"How were able to endure it?" Ginny asked.

"It wasn't easy," Chris answered. "If you think back, you have to see that we didn't act like dogs all the time. That could have caused some people to get suspicious, but we got lucky and no one seemed to pick up on it."

"What were they going to do to us?" Ron asked. "What was this all about?"

Kevin leaned back in his chair. "Voldemort knows that he is mortal, at least for now. He wants to make sure that he will have a healthy supply of followers, even after he dies." Kevin took a deep breath. "Do you all remember me telling you what happened to me when my mother was still carrying me?" The students nodded. "Well, Voldemort wants to start that sick plot again. He wants a young heir who can be brought up under his guidance. Only this time, he wants the father to be one of his own Death Eaters."

Professor McGonagall let out a small shriek. "Are you saying that he wanted to impregnate our female students?"

Kevin looked over at her. "That's exactly what I'm saying. Voldemort is sick, and he wants to hurt everyone that he can, in any way that he can."

"What about the boys?"

"He wanted to turn them into Death Eaters. His ranks will eventually dwindle, so he needs replacements. Where better to find them then a school?"

The room fell silent for a moment as the truth about the situation sunk in. Finally, Hermione raised her head. "Kevin, do you know what Dolohov's curse would have done to me?"

He reached over and patted her knee. "Do you really want to know, Hermione?"

"I have to know…please?"

"All right," he said. "The Ministry of Magic was able to figure out what the effects of the curse are. It would have, of course, eventually killed you, Hermione, but not right away. The curse was supposed to shut down your internal organs first, and put you in a lot of pain. You would have spent the next few days in agony as your intestines, lungs and heart stopped working."

Hermione's eyes suddenly filled with tears again. Dumbledore got to his feet. "Perhaps you should take Miss Granger back to Gryffindor tower. You all could use some rest."

Ron steadied Hermione as they all left the room. Kevin stood up and started pacing around the room. "That is not going to leave her anytime soon."

"No, it won't," Dumbledore replied. "But she is strong, as they all are. They will be able to get through this." He looked over at Kevin and saw a concerned look on his face. "You have something else to say?"

Kevin stopped pacing and met the headmaster's eyes. "Albus, you and I both know that Voldemort is not going to take this loss well. He is going to want blood, our blood."

"What do you suggest?"

Kevin shook his head. "As much as I don't want this, I know this is the only thing we can do.

"We have to shut the school down."


	39. Preparing For The End

_Notice to All Students:  
In three weeks, end of term exams will be given  
In light of recent events, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be closed for an indeterminate period of time._

The students talked non-stop throughout the school after this announcement was made. Most talked about how serious the war had gotten that it forced Professor Dumbledore to close the school. Others wondered how long Hogwarts would be closed, and if it would be reopened at all.

Then, of course, there was the group of students that complained about still having to take exams.

"I don't see how we are supposed to concentrate while the threat of an attack is looming over our heads," Malfoy could be heard saying in the Great Hall. His attitude was common among the Slytherin students and those among other houses that disliked hard work. The teachers had assured them that the exams would only cover material already taught, but that didn't mean the exams would be any easier.

Harry was thankful for the early tests, since they allowed Hermione a distraction to take her mind off of the horrible cave incident. She had thrust herself into her studies and took a special pride in pestering Ron about studying as well. He tried his best not to upset her over the past few days, but he did get on her nerves when he tried to pull her away from the books once in a while. She eventually relented, but only after a healthy argument.

It was good to see Hermione getting back to her old self, though it would take a long time before she forgot what had happened. Harry decided that he would wait until she was ready to come to her friends for help and just let Ron keep a close watch on her, which he did gladly. Meanwhile, Harry did what he could to find a bit of time alone with Ginny. Her O.W.L exams were fast approaching and she had expected another month of preparation before she would take them. Harry often found her among a group of fifth years in the library with a large collection of parchment and books scattered across a long table. 

She would always take a moment to smile at him and bat her eyelashes, but her attention soon returned to her studies. Harry could hardly blame her; this had been a difficult time for him last year as well.

The entire school became more nervous as the day they would all leave loomed closer. Exams were indeed as difficult as ever, so there was something to distract the student's attention.

However, nothing could stop that day from coming.

It was near the end of April, the night before the students would leave on the Hogwarts Express, that Harry and Ginny decided to catch a moment by themselves out in the courtyard on the east side of the castle. As they walked the corridors that would take them outside, Harry kept an arm tight around Ginny's waist.

He wasn't worried about being separated from her. Mrs. Weasley had invited both he and Hermione to stay at the Burrow for the time being. Harry had secretly hoped that he could return to Godric's Hollow, but he knew better then to argue with a Weasley woman.

Despite the threat of an imminent attack, Dumbledore had done his best to provide a feeling of safety for his students. The Aurors were still present, though they kept out of the way, and tried not to intimidate the students. Surprisingly, though, the corridors were empty of the usual wandering young wizards and witches. Harry and Ginny didn't think it odd, because it gave them a bit more privacy.

They finally reached the courtyard and found that someone else was already there. Kevin was pacing back and forth across the stone floor, an anguished look on his face. Harry looked around and saw that he was not alone. Sara was sitting on a low stonewall beside Lita, who was in human form. They all looked to be in deep conversation. "Let's go," Harry whispered to Ginny.

She nodded. They started to walk away, but their presence was already known. "We have company, Kevin," Sara could be heard saying.

Kevin stopped pacing and turned towards them. "What are the two of you doing out this late?" he asked, forced cheeriness clear in his voice. "You should be getting some rest for the trip tomorrow."

Harry led Ginny closer to the adults. "We just wanted some time together," he answered. "We didn't mean to intrude on anything."

"You're not," Sara said. "We're just catching up on old times with Lita. Before she came back as an Animagi, it had been almost five years since I had seen my younger sister."

"Sisters?" Ginny said.

Sara nodded. "That's right. She's four years younger then me."

Ginny looked back and forth between the two red-haired women. "I can see a resemblance, but you never said anything about having a sister before."

Lita smiled at her. "We couldn't say anything, because I was in training to be an Animagi along with the other three."

"You see," Sara started to explain. "Lita had the potential to become an Animagi when she was really young. After our parents died, she was sent to live with a family that worked in the Ministry so she could continue her training. It was lucky that she was able to come live with us during everything that happened."

"It was hard to keep the disguise," Lita said. "I wanted to drop the deception a lot of times so I could talk one on one with my sister, but I had to stay as I was so we could have a surprise waiting for Voldemort."

Harry looked over at Kevin. "What are you all going to be doing after the school closes?"

Kevin's forced cheerfulness faded at Harry's change of subject. "We'll be staying here for a while, but eventually we'll probably go back to Godric's Hollow. The house is yours, Harry, but I hope you won't mind if Sara and I spend some time there until the baby is born."

"Of course not," He answered. "I hope I can spend some time there as well, if Mrs. Weasley ever lets me out of the Burrow."

Ginny giggled at his comment. "When is the baby due?" she asked Sara.

Sara placed a hand on her belly. "Some time this summer, maybe late June."

Kevin lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. "9:30. Train pulls out at 11:00 tomorrow." He looked up at Harry and Ginny. "We've heard a lot of rumors, but I want to hear it straight from your mouth. How do the two of you feel about the school closing down?"

"I don't like it," Ginny said right away. "How are any of us supposed to finish our training if we don't have anyone to teach us?"

"The Ministry will find some way to continue the education of the students," Kevin replied. "This is just a temporary thing. Voldemort is supremely pissed off right now, but once he finds something new to occupy his anger, he'll forget about the school and move on."

Lita turned to him. "Do you really believe that?"

"No," He said. "But it helps me sleep at night if I keep telling myself that."

Harry had to chuckle. He knew that Kevin was trying to lighten the mood, because he probably knew exactly what Harry was thinking. Harry knew that as long as he was alive, Voldemort would never stop hurting those he cared about. It pained him inside to know that he was the cause of so much fear and hardship.  
He took Ginny's hand in his. "We should get back up to the tower." He led her back to the castle, wondering if he would ever walk these halls ever again.

The train did not leave on time, but it was not for lack of preparation or technical problems. Kevin had been right when he said that Voldemort was pissed…and he aimed to take out his frustration on Hogwarts.

In the early hours of the morning, the castle walls were shaken by a series of explosions. This was unlike anything that had been felt before. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was under direct attack.


	40. The Price Of Victory

All the students had been rushed to the Great Hall. Everyone was panicked and unsure of what exactly was going on. It was obvious that the castle was under attack, but there were rumors flying around as to just how bad the situation was.

Harry found Ron, Hermione, and Ginny fast and kept them close. They searched desperately for Professor Dumbledore or Kevin, but couldn't find either of them. Ron and Hermione were pulled away to help with making sure that all students were present and to keep them as calm as possible.

Ginny led Harry to as secluded a corner as she could find. "Harry, I have something I want to ask you, and I want you to be honest with me."

"All right," Harry said.

"Are you going to fight today?"

Harry was not prepared for that. "Well, I don't think that I'll be allowed to, not with Dumbledore and Kevin both here. I'll probably have to stay in the castle."

"That's not what I asked, Harry," Ginny replied, her eyes hardened to show that she was not pleased with his answer. "I asked if you were going to fight." 

Harry took a deep breath. "If I have to, then yes, I will." Ginny's eyes started to fill with tears. He wrapped his arms around her. "That wasn't what you wanted to hear either, was it?" He felt her head shake. "I can't deny that they're here for me, and I can't let other people fight a battle that's meant for me. If I have the chance, then yes, I will fight."

As he held her close, Harry could see Kevin enter the Great Hall, followed closely by Dumbledore.

The teachers huddled together at the front of the Great Hall. Dumbledore lowered his voice to ensure that he was not overheard. "The Ministry cannot spare more Aurors then we already have. Voldemort has launched attacks all over Europe. Our forces are stretched too thin. We are on our own."

"Does the council not realize that the Dark Lord is leading _this_ attack?" Snape asked. "It's Potter he wants, as well as a few other people." He leered at Kevin.

Kevin didn't react. "Whatever he wants, we have to be sure he doesn't get it. The first thing we have to do is keep the students safe."

"We should send them to the dungeon," Professor McGonagall said. "We can protect them better there."

"Perhaps we should consider getting them out through the floo network," Professor Flitwick suggested. "It would take time, but we could hold off the Death Eaters until then."

Kevin shook his head. "They've cut off the castle from the floo network. We would have to get to Hogsmeade to use it, but they've already taken up position around the village."

"The problem is that we need able wizards to fight," said Snape. "There are too few of us to properly defend the castle."

Dumbledore looked around the hall. "Perhaps there are too few _adult_ wizards…"

Professor McGonagall put a hand over her mouth. "Albus, you are not thinking that we should have the students fight, are you? Suppose they are killed, how could we live with ourselves if that happened?"

"Minerva," Dumbledore said. "This is what the students have been training for, to use their magical gifts for the protection of our kind. If we ask them to fight, some may die but if we do nothing, then we all will die. I will not force anyone to fight who does not want to, but I must give them that choice, or all our teaching has been for nothing."

"I agree with the headmaster," Snape said, much to the surprise of everyone. "My students performed far beyond anything even I could have hoped for. Their actions when they were taken hostage proves that they are able and willing to fight. We must give them that option."

"But whom do we ask?" Professor Sprout asked. "We cannot expect the first years to defend the castle against trained Death Eaters, and surely the second and third years are not trained well enough."

Kevin rubbed his chin. "The sixth and seventh years are obvious choices, but we can't expect the students to fight one on one. They're inexperienced at this, even if they can cast some powerful spells. What we need is an edge that the Death Eaters don't have. We need a surprise." He looked around at the students, and then turned to the flying instructor. "Madam Hooch, besides the Quidditch players, who are the best flyers in the school?"

"What we are asking is for volunteers to help defend the castle," Professor Dumbledore said, as he addressed the Great Hall. "It is not necessary that you be of age, but if you feel that you can properly fight against a trained Death Eater, then we ask for your help. If you doubt your own abilities then we ask that you remain in the castle. If you feel that you can be of use, then please come forward."

Harry was one of the first to step forward. When he had told Ginny that he would fight if given the chance, he never thought that it would actually happen. He looked back to see how she would react to this, but she was not behind him. She was beside him. "Ginny, what are you doing?"

She turned her head to look at him. "I'm going to make sure you come out of this alive."

Harry smiled at her. All the seventh year students and most of the sixth and fifth year students joined the teachers at the front of the Great Hall. He saw Ron and Hermione join the fighting group. About half of the fourth and third year students volunteered, but the rest of the school stayed where they were. It was more then Harry thought would join. He saw a healthy number of Slytherins as part of the group that would fight, Malfoy among them.

The students that didn't volunteer were led out of the hall towards the dungeon. Once they had left, Dumbledore addressed the students once again. "Thank you all for your bravery. We have a plan that we hope will minimize any harm that may come to you, but I must say that there is a chance that some of you may be hurt, or possibly, may die."

"If we die defending Hogwarts, then it will be worth it, Professor!" a seventh year Hufflepuff shouted. 

The rest of the group started cheering and shouting their own uplifting phrases. Dumbledore raised his hands to quiet them. "Yes, but it is our hope that no one need die today. We have a plan to stop this invasion at its source."

Kevin took Dumbledore's place addressing the students. "Now the particulars are not important, but your ultimate goal is to distract the Death Eaters enough to allow us to get to Voldemort. One thing we are going to do is form an air strike. Those of you with brooms and flying experience are going to fly over the Death Eaters and try to break their ranks." Harry saw every Quidditch player's face break into a grin, his own included. Flying was something that he could do easily. "Death Eaters are not known for using brooms in their attacks, since they are seen as clumsy, but our experienced flyers will show them how useful they can be."

He took out his wand and waved it. A transparent diagram of Hogsmeade village and the Hogwarts castle appeared. A large collection of red dots scattered across the village. "These represent Death Eaters." He waved his wand again. "This is what we hope to accomplish." A series of blue dots started flying across the diagram. "Those blue dots are our flyers. What needs to be done is for you to fly low and fast over the village. If you can, cast some spells to disorient the Death Eaters, otherwise just make yourselves a nuisance. Do not spend too much time, though. You may be moving fast, but Voldemort's troops will eventually get you. They know enough spells to do it."

With another flick of his wand, the moving blue dots disappeared and were replaced by stationary ones. "Once the flyers are over the targets, the ground forces will move in and work towards Voldemort himself. Once he is taken out, his forces will lose morale and will be easier to take out."

"Sir," a seventh year Ravenclaw raised his hand. "With all due respect, how will the downfall of…Volde…" He couldn't say the name. "…of You-Know-Who hurt his forces. They are all still powerful wizards."

Kevin nodded his head. "Good point. The Death Eaters are unorganized and need a leader to keep them together. Without Voldemort, they'll disintegrate into chaos."

A sixth year Slytherin girl raised her hand. "Sir, would it be possible to drop some wizards in the middle of the Death Eaters, so we could attack from within and without?" Harry looked over at her. It was uncommon for a Slytherin to be concerned about anything but his or her own safety. This attack had everyone scared.

"We've thought about that," Kevin answered. "Unfortunately, we don't have a way to do that. If we used our flyers to drop people, then it would slow them down and make them easy targets. It would take too long to tunnel underneath, and there is no way to sneak behind the lines."

Harry heard the word "tunnel" and remembered something he had that could possibly help. He had hoped that he would never have to release this secret, but if he had to… "Professor Hall," he said as he timidly raised his hand. "I think I know how we can get inside their lines."

Harry stood in the castle courtyard with the rest of the flyers, awaiting the signal from Professor Dumbledore. This offensive squad consisted of forty students from all four houses. The majority of them were Quidditch players, but there were a few who had the expertise to fly, but had not had much of a chance to show it off.

Ron and Ginny were standing a bit away from Harry. He didn't dare intrude on what appeared to be a brother/sister conversation. Putting his Firebolt over his shoulder, Harry started pacing around the courtyard. The rest of the students had formed little groups and were keeping their voices low. He was the only one standing by himself, but not for long.

"I'm surprised that you would let something that valuable out of your grasp."

He turned around and found Malfoy standing behind him, with a smug grin on his face. "Are you talking about the Marauder's Map?"

"Is that what you call it?" Malfoy said. "Well, whatever it is, it's the most valuable thing that a student can own, and you let it out of your hands."

"I was trying to help," Harry shot back. "I didn't see you offering any helpful advice."  
"I didn't have anything that valuable in my possession." Malfoy started pacing. "You do realize that the map is useless. It shows tunnels that lead into Hogsmeade before it was destroyed. Now, those same tunnels have probably been destroyed. There will be no way for anyone to get into the village."

Harry was silent. He hadn't thought about that. The fact that Hogsmeade had been destroyed and re-built had slipped his mind. He cursed himself inwardly for forgetting something like this. "Kevin can still use the map for something," Harry said, trying to put some confidence in his voice. 

Malfoy laughed. "I'll bet he can."

Hermione stood with a group of students that were going through the tunnels into Hogsmeade. Kevin was examining the statue of the humpbacked witch that Harry had used on so many occasions before to enter the village without being seen. She walked up beside him. "Did he tell you how get into the tunnel?" she asked, trying to alleviate her own apprehension.

"Yeah," Kevin answered. "I'm just wondering why the founders would have put an escape tunnel in such an out of the way place, and why they left no clue on how to find it."

"Maybe they didn't want overly eager students leaving the castle," Hermione said with a slight chuckle. Kevin smiled as well. "Are you sure that this is going to work? The tunnel may have been destroyed."

Kevin looked over at her. "The village was re-built almost exactly as it was before the explosion. The opening of the tunnel may be blocked, but we can cut a new one if necessary. Regardless, We should come out at Honeydukes. If something goes wrong, we still have the other group at the Shrieking Shack. Voldemort will still get a rude surprise."

Hermione nodded. It would take almost an hour to reach the village through the tunnel. In all that time, she knew she was going to question this mission again and again in her mind.

She looked out over the group that was going through the tunnel. Kevin was the only adult in this collection of able-bodied students. Most of the Aurors were focusing on the frontal assault, while a few others had joined the group going through the Shrieking Shack. It seemed foolish for anyone to expect these inexperienced witches and wizards to fight head-to-head with trained Death Eaters, but if they had to…

That was what worried her most of all. She wondered if any of the Death Eaters would know that she was the one that had killed Antonin Dolohov, and if she would have to kill again. This whole operation was based on necessity, the same necessity that had forced her to use the killing curse in the cave just a few weeks ago. Would it be necessary for her to use it again?

Hermione shut her eyes and shook her head to push that thought from her mind. She would never do such a horrible thing again. She would never feel that kind of power of again, or the rush that came from it. Hermione had only admitted it to herself, but the feeling of using that kind of power had excited her a bit. A small part of her had wanted to feel that power again, but to do that she would have to kill and that she would not do.

Kevin finally took out his wand and tapped the stone witch. "_Dissendium!_" The hump of the switch opened up. "Everyone, inside!" The students started piling into the tunnel until Hermione and Kevin were the only ones left in the corridor.

"Kevin!"

They both turned and saw Sara walking towards them. Kevin ran to meet his wife. "What are you doing here? You should be in the dungeon with everyone else."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I had to see you before you left."

He slid his arms around her waist. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right. We're going to win this."

"I know you are."

Hermione stood next to the statue and watched the adults comfort one another. It made her wish that Ron had joined this group, but he would be more useful as a flyer and she knew that. She wondered if they would be as happy one day as Kevin and Sara were. The professors finally let each other go, and kissed before Sara left towards the dungeon. Kevin walked back to the statue. "Let's finish this."

Golden sparks shot through the sky. The flyers mounted their brooms and soared into the air. They took up a diamond formation to adequately space themselves apart so they would be tougher to target. Harry and Ron were near the center of the formation, while Ginny was near the rear. Each student had their wand firmly in their hand and was ready to use it.

The plan was to make one quick pass over the village in the formation, and then they would all scramble and cause as much havoc as they could for a few minutes before leaving the village and landing in the Forbidden Forest. They would not go so far in as to be lost, but just far enough to get out of sight. After they landed, they would join the attack on the village.

Harry could see the village now, but he couldn't make out any Death Eaters. He wasn't expecting them to be lying out in the streets, waiting for someone to come along and attack, but he had hoped. As they got closer and closer, it seemed as though Harry could see something moving in the village, but he wasn't sure. It suddenly hit…

"Camouflage!"

A series of red bursts of energy suddenly shot up at the flying students. Before it was time, the flyers scattered to avoid being hit by the spells. Harry turned into a dive and shot for the ground. He pulled out of it just above the roofs of Hogsmeade and sped across them. Using his free hand, Harry cast spell after spell at anything that could be a camouflaged Death Eater. It wasn't the best cover, but it worked against students flying at break-neck speeds.

The original idea of the plan worked flawlessly. Death Eaters had a difficult time casting effective spells against fast moving targets. However, the reversal was true as well. Harry could not land a single spell against an enemy. He was moving too fast and the Death Eaters were well hidden, which made attacking a terrible chore.

Some students had found ways around this. The Ravenclaw flyers had worked to box a few Death Eaters into one area and cast a continuous series of spells that hit their intended targets. Several Death Eaters fell to the ground.

Harry kept an eye out for the real target of this offensive: Voldemort. The leader of this army was nowhere to be seen. Death Eaters seemed to be falling more frequently after the first few were hit, but more were pouring from the abandoned shops in the village. They had dropped the magical camouflage and were simply casting spells into the sky.

A shower of red sparks shot from over the ridge. This was the signal to leave. They flyers took their cue and soared off towards the Forbidden Forest. Landing in a clearing near the edge of the forest, the flyers abandoned their brooms and started running towards Hogsmeade.

The ground forces would be striking soon.

Honeydukes suddenly erupted with spells being cast from the windows. The Death Eaters dove for cover wherever they could find it. Kevin directed the students to cast their spells in a wide pattern so that no one area was under too much pressure while another was under too little. Hermione helped keep some of the younger students out of the way of return fire.

An incendiary spell hit the back wall of the shop and started to burn. Kevin put it out with a wave of his wand. "Where's a machine gun when I need it?" he said, to no one in particular.  
Hermione was starting to doubt if having students fight was such a good idea. Her doubts were laid to rest as the group from the Shrieking Shack suddenly entered the village, wailing loudly and firing spells into the fray. The Death Eaters never expected to have to fight a battle on two fronts…

…make that three.

The group of flyers entered the village in much the same fashion as the other groups. Wands were flailing about with brightly colored spells shooting from the tips of them. Kevin motioned for his group to leave the shop and move into the streets. The Death Eaters had found hiding places around make shift barricades. There was an equal number of Death Eaters and Hogwarts students, but the Death Eaters had the advantage in talent.

Kevin saw more then a fair number of students fall to the ground, but the way they fell had him guessing. In his life, he had seen many people die, but the students that fell seemed more stunned then anything. Others were bound and couldn't move. Not once did Kevin hear a curse uttered that would kill any of the students or Aurors. 

Voldemort must still want them as converts or breeders, he thought with disgust. Kevin was still not able to understand the Dark Lord's intentions.

He soon saw Harry, Ron and Ginny rushing through the streets. The students fought with a determination that Kevin had only seen in trained Aurors, even if their skill was less then excellent. Kevin directed the fighting to surround the Death Eaters and keep them pinned in the center of the village. Despite the minor casualties, it was almost as if the students had been enough to quell this attack. There was only one thing missing from the battle.

Voldemort and his sons suddenly appeared in the middle of the fighting frenzy. They cast a wide range-stunning spell, incapacitating any unlucky wizard that happened to be caught in the radius. Three-dozen more Death Eaters apparated into the village and did what the students had done just a few moments before.

In the face of the Dark Lord, many suddenly lost their will to fight. Students started running back towards the castle or for the Forbidden Forest. None got very far before they were brought down by a stunning spell. The new squad of Death Eaters had been waiting for this opportunity. Kevin was out of surprises, and Voldemort had kept one up his sleeve.

Harry could see the fight turning against the students. He knew that something had to be done quickly. Taking a glance over at Ginny, he ran off towards the center of the fighting. The love of his life followed with her eyes as Harry barreled towards the one man that had come close to ending his life…Voldemort.

"Harry, don't," she whispered to herself.

Harry let nothing stop him as he pushed through Death Eaters and students alike and got closer to the object of his obsession. He brandished his wand, and lunged at the Dark Lord. Voldemort turned in just enough time to see the young wizard barreling at him. He raised his own wand, and the tips made contact.

An ear-piercing screech filled the air, causing all those around to drop to their knees and cover their ears. The two wizards were locked together by the tips of their wands. A golden cage appeared around them, which pushed anyone near them away from the two wizards. Voldemort sneered at Harry. "Here we are again, Potter. Do you expect your pitiful parents to come and save you again?"

Harry took his eyes off of his adversary for a moment, and then grinned. "No, I have others to help me." He yanked his wand away from Voldemort's, and the cage disappeared. Voldemort was disoriented for a moment. He did not see the Animagi lunge at him, nor did he know what hit him when he was knocked to the ground.

Harry felt a pair of arms hoist him to his feet. Kevin dragged him off to one side. "Are you insane, boy?" he asked while carrying the young wizard. "You trying to get yourself killed?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Harry couldn't answer if he wanted to. His eyes were fixed upon a menacing figure standing a few yards away. Griff was holding his wand out at arms length, pointing it at Harry and Kevin. "_Accio Wand!_" Both their wands leapt from their hands into Griff's. "No more games, brother. No more."

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Kevin threw Harry to the side, and took the full force of the spell. Harry saw Kevin fall onto his back, his eyes looking up to the sky. He couldn't believe it. _But…he knew how to counter it…_

Griff stood over the body of his dead brother. "Always the hero, aren't you? Well, look where it got you this time."

Harry couldn't move. Griff took his eyes off his fallen brother and looked over at Harry. "Will you play the hero as well?" He raised his wand.

Ron and Ginny suddenly tackled Griff from out of nowhere. Ron had abandoned the use of his wand and was throwing fists at the Death Eater. Ginny was kneeling over Kevin's fallen body. Tears could be seen in her eyes.

A large shadow loomed over them all. "_Crucio!_" Ron suddenly cried out in pain as the Cruciatus Curse was used on him. Ginny looked up and saw Voldemort leering at them. He had his wand trained on her brother, which caused her anger to boil to the surface. She took up her wand and lunged at him. 

Voldemort turned his aim on her, but Ginny was surprisingly quick. "_Expelliarmus!_" Voldemort's wand was thrust from his hand, but only for a moment. He flicked his wrist and it landed back where it originally was. Ginny stood dumbstruck.

Harry got to his feet and grabbed his wand from the ground where Griff had dropped it. He started running towards Voldemort. His face held all the rage he had kept hidden for the past years. Voldemort looked at him with a laughable gaze. He turned his wand towards him.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

The next few minutes were a blur to Harry. One moment, he saw a green jet of light form itself at the tip of Voldemort's wand, and the next his vision was obstructed by a mane of red hair. Something had jumped in front of him to take the power of the curse. It became clear that it was not something, but someone.

Ginny had leapt in front of him.

She was thrown back into his arms; her lifeless body nothing more than a clump of flesh in his grip. This had been the second time someone had taken a killing curse for him…no it was the third. His mother had been the first. He cradled Ginny's body close to him as tears started forming in his eyes. "Ginny," he said, quietly. "Why did you do it?"

Voldemort walked over to him. "And people blame me for the deaths of this world. It seems that more people die from being associated with you, Harry Potter. Don't worry, though, I'll be glad to keep anyone else from dying just because they are around you." He waved his wand and brought Harry to his feet, causing Ginny to fall to the ground. Voldemort gave Harry a final, toothy grin. "Let's see someone get you out of trouble this time."

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

The spell struck Harry's chest, but did not do any damage. The light seemed to stop just above his skin. It hovered for a moment. Voldemort's earlier arrogance turned to fear. "This can't be! That protection was removed!" The spell leapt from Harry and struck Voldemort, instead.

Harry collapsed to the ground. He looked up and saw Voldemort fly backwards from the force of the spell. When he hit the dirt, the ground seemed to shake. The Death Eaters that remained cried out in pain. Some dropped their wands, while others fell to their knees.

Harry didn't seem to notice any of this as his eyes were elsewhere. Ten feet from him lay Kevin's lifeless body, his arms spread out wide. He thought about Sara and their little baby, and how it would grow up without a father, like he did. He wondered if Sara already knew that her husband was dead, or if he would have to break the news to her. He could just see her on her knees, sobbing and crying out for her dead lover.

Harry then looked over at where Ginny's body had dropped. Ron was already over there, holding her and crying over her. This was one casualty that he had hoped he would never have to see. His life, the one girl he had ever been truly in love with was gone.

Ginny Weasley was dead.


	41. You Only Get One Do Over

The battle was won and the enemy defeated.

But there was no celebration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The hospital wing was filled with injured students. Some were still under the effects of the stunning spells and had to be brought out of it, while others had cuts and bruises from falling to the ground. No one was seriously injured…except two.

Ron and Hermione sat at a bedside at the far end of the ward. This occupant of this bed was covered from head to toe by a white sheet, and was not moving. Ginny Weasley lay here until her body was to be moved to wherever she would be buried. Ron laid his head down on the mattress and sobbed; while Hermione rested an arm around his shoulders with her face nestled in his neck. She too was crying, inconsolable by anyone.

Other students walked by, but none could stay too long before they began crying as well. Word had been sent to the Weasley family; it would only be a matter of time before the rest of Ginny's siblings and parents were here, and the wailing would only get worse.

Harry wouldn't cry, or rather he couldn't. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something kept the tears from escaping his eyes since he had come back to the castle. It made him angry that he couldn't mourn his lost love, nor could he mourn the death of a member of his family.

Across from Ginny's bed, Kevin's body laid in much the same fashion. A sheet covering it and his wife at his side, the body of Kevin Hall lay motionless. The Animagi surrounded the bed and wept for their lost friend. Harry wanted so much to go to one of their bedsides and console one of the mourners, but he couldn't do that either. Harry was motionless.

Harry felt someone walk up behind him. "This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out," a voice said.

He turned around and found Remus Lupin standing there. The former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was gazing out over the hospital wing. "We had such high hopes that we could stop Voldemort before anything like this happened. Sometimes I think we were as arrogant as he was." Lupin looked down at the young wizard. "What a price we all paid for our vanity."

Harry turned away from him. "Why did it have to end like this? Why did more of my friends have to die…because of me?"

Lupin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go for a walk, Harry." They started walking down a corridor. They walked in relative silence through the halls. Students were making their own way through the castle, but gave Harry and Lupin a wide berth. "Harry," Lupin said. "Why do you blame yourself for what has happened?"

"Because if it weren't for me," Harry answered. "Then my friends, and my parents, would still be alive."

"Are you sure about that?" Lupin rubbed his chin. "You know Harry, there is a saying that hindsight is 20-20 vision. It means things always look clearer after they happen, but I don't believe that. Let's look at what would have happened if you did not exist." They stopped at a window. "Think about this, Harry. Without you, Voldemort would not have been stopped when he was. There may have been someone else who could have killed him, but a lot more innocent people would have died before that.

"Now, you say that your friends are in danger just because they are your friends, well that was their choice. Ginny knew what she was getting herself into when she decided that she loved you."

Harry's face hardened. "Then I should have driven her away. I never should have let her fall in love with me."

"Last I heard, it was you trying to convince her that you loved her."

Harry and Remus looked behind them and saw Sara standing with Lita. The pregnant witch was leaning heavily on her younger sister; her eyes puffed with freshly shed tears. Lupin conjured a chair for her to sit in. "You should be back in the hospital wing, Sara. Exerting yourself like this isn't healthy for you or your baby."

Lupin and Lita each took an arm of Sara's and eased her into the chair. "I couldn't stay there knowing that my husband wasn't going to get out of that bed. I lived the last few years of my life knowing that he might not come home one day, so I knew that this day was coming." She lowered her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "But it doesn't make this any easier." Lita knelt beside her sister and wrapped her arms around Sara.

Harry walked over to her. "If you knew that he might die, then why did you marry him? Why not spare both of you the pain and let him fight alone?"

"Because I loved him," Sara replied. "Just as Ginny loved you. When the school year had just started, she came to me and asked if it was right that she try to have a relationship with you, even though you were a target. I told her that she had to search her own heart and decide if she was willing to make whatever sacrifice was asked of her. What happened today showed that she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you. It showed how much she truly loved you."

Harry turned on his heels. "It never should have happened."

Lita jumped to her feet and grabbed Harry by the shoulder. "Don't you dare turn your back on her! She's trying to tell you that…"

"Lita," Sara said. "Let him go. If he won't listen to me, then he has to find the answers himself."

Lita released her grip on his robes, and Harry walked away down the corridor.

Harry just wanted to be alone. He didn't want anyone coming up to him trying to console him, or telling him that this all wasn't his fault. Deep in his heart, he knew that there was nothing he could have done to prevent this, short of running out into the night to find Voldemort and get killed himself. If he had done something like that, then there would be no one who could have stopped the Dark Lord, not if the prophecy was true.

People, who had already died, would still be dead, just at different times and by different means. Voldemort wouldn't have stopped killing just because he wasn't around. That didn't make this day any easier.

Harry found himself at the Quidditch Pitch. This was a place he had never had reason to hate. Quidditch was always a refuge from whatever was bothering him in school. While he was in the air, he was alone in the world.

Now he felt like he really was alone.

He paced around the pitch again and again not really sure how many times he circled the grass. Harry didn't care, but he stopped when he realized he wasn't the only person there. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Draco Malfoy walked up to Harry. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to do something foolish, like take off on your broom to some place no one has ever heard of."

Harry turned his head from Malfoy. "Did Sara or Dumbledore send you out here?"

Malfoy laughed. "Do you think either of them would ask _me_ to look after _you_? I'd have no problem if you left, though I would like to know why. Are you thinking about running?"

"No," Harry answered. "Why would I run?"

"Because it's exactly the sort of thing you're famous for," replied Malfoy, with a smug tone. "When things get tough, you run and hide. Maybe you don't run away from the school, but you run away from everyone around you. I saw what Sara and Lupin were trying to tell you in the hallway. They actually made sense, but you wouldn't listen. You only want to hear good things, things that make you happy."

"What's wrong with wanting to feel happy?"

Malfoy walked up and slapped Harry across his right cheek. "How can you be this stupid, Potter? You've seen more terrible things in six years then most wizards will see in their lifetimes, and you can honestly stand there and say something like that? There's nothing wrong with feeling happy, but if that's all you are concerned with then when something bad happens, you're not going to take it well.

"Harry," Malfoy said as he placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "I've never been able to admit this before, but the thing that I admire about you is how you've been able to survive through everything that you've seen and everything that has been thrown at you. After this is all over, are you going to tell me that you're going to quit now?"

Harry didn't know what to say. For one, he had heard this same speech a thousand times more then he wanted to hear. Many times he had wanted to run and hide his head because something hadn't gone his way, but now he was hearing the argument from the last person he had expected advice from, Draco Malfoy. Here was a student that had dedicated his life to making Harry miserable, but now he was trying to kick him out of this depression that he had slipped in to.

Harry lifted his head. "If the fight is over, then I have nothing to quit from."

Malfoy took his hands from Harry's shoulders. "That's why I'm out here. The fight isn't over. Professor Dumbledore wants to see you."

Professor McGonagall, who had been waiting for him at the entrance to the castle, showed Harry to Professor Dumbledore's office. He opened the door and found Ron and Hermione already seated in front of the headmaster's desk. They both looked back at him, and Harry could see how red their eyes were from crying. He sat down beside Ron. "What are you two doing here?"

"Professor McGonagall said that Dumbledore wanted to speak with us," Hermione said. "We've been waiting here for a few minutes."

Harry wondered what the headmaster could want to speak with all three of them about. If it was another "inspirational" speech, he was going to walk out before the man could say one word. They only had to wait a bit longer before Dumbledore walked into the office with Fawkes, his personal phoenix, on his shoulder. Fawkes flew to his perch as Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk.

"This day did not end as we all had hoped," he said. The students looked at him with confused expressions. "We suffered many injuries, and the loss of two very special people. Though the price was high, the end result was more then we could have hoped for. Voldemort is dead. His Death Eaters are powerless now. Without Voldemort to lead them, and his power to fuel them, they are no more powerful then our own Aurors. Soon, we will be able to find the last of the Death Eaters and put them back into prison."  
Dumbledore folded his hands and leaned forward on the desk. "Now I ask you this question, and I beg you to think it through before you answer. Would you trade all of this to have Ginny and Kevin returned to us? Would you resurrect the Dark Lord and rejuvenate his forces for the sake of two lives? This is a choice that I give to you." He leaned back in his seat.

Harry couldn't understand what Dumbledore was saying. Was he telling them that there was a way to bring Ginny and Kevin back to life? If it was possible, he was saying that Voldemort would be brought back to life as well. The death of the Dark Lord was something that Harry had been waiting for since he first heard his name. Now that it had happened, was he willing to fight again if it meant that Ginny would return to him?

Hermione shook her head, in frustration. "Professor, I don't understand what you're trying to say."

Ron's eyes suddenly widened. "Can you bring my sister back?! he said, excitedly.

Dumbledore slowly shook his head. "No one can bring someone back from the dead, Ronald, but you must answer my question before I can explain myself."

Ron looked between Harry and Hermione. Neither of them could think of how they were supposed to answer the question. Of course they wanted Ginny and Kevin back, but they didn't want to take the chance that Voldemort may come back. It seemed that there was no answer that seemed right, so Harry just said what was in his heart. "I want Ginny back."

Dumbledore nodded. "I see. Do you all feel this way?" Ron and Hermione exchanged questionable glances, but nodded in agreement. Dumbledore stood up. "Very well, then." He reached into his robes and pulled out a glass sphere with a small flame in it. "This is called a _tempus_ flame. With this, you can reverse what has happened this day."

"We can go back in time?" Hermione asked.

"Not exactly," Dumbledore replied. "This flame acts as a catalyst that reverses time itself. In effect, everyone goes back in time."

"How does it work?" Ron asked, eager to get his sister back.

Dumbledore set the _tempus_ flame on his desk. "This is a rare object that combines wizard craftsmanship with phoenix flame. The same type of casing is used in constructing the time turners, but the core of the objects is different. The time turner encompasses a small amount of space, while the flame has a much larger range. No one is aware that time has been reversed, except those that shatter the glass sphere."

He picked up the sphere. "If you do this, you will be sent back to the moment before the first killing curse is cast." Dumbledore looked at Harry. "You will only have a moment to move Kevin out of the way before history repeats itself."

Harry took the tempus flame. "How am I supposed to…"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "There is no time. Each second we waste on this side of the timeline is a second lost on the other side. Speak with me once you have completed your task and I will explain it all."

Ron and Hermione got to their feet and stood beside Harry. They each put a hand on the glass sphere. With equal force, they crushed the casing and released the _tempus_ flame. A burning sensation washed over Harry. It felt like he was falling through the floo network.

The burning sensation lasted only a few seconds, and then the heat was gone. He didn't find himself in a fireplace grate, or still inside Dumbledore's office. Instead, he was back in Hogsmeade with the sounds of battle rampant around him. He realized that he was in Kevin's grasp, and knew that he had only seconds to act.

Griff held his wand out in the direction of him and Kevin. "_Avada Kedavra!_" Harry planted his feet in the ground and pushed backwards. Kevin lost his footing and tumbled to his back, taking Harry with him. The green jet of light passed over them and impacted harmlessly against a shop's wall.

Harry rolled away from Kevin in time to see Ron and Ginny attack Griff from behind. The Death Eater was dragged to the ground and bound by his hands and feet. Ron grabbed Harry and Kevin's wands and threw them to their owners. Harry's mind worked furiously to remember what was about to happen. Ron's sudden screams jarred his memory.

Voldemort's wand was pointed in Ron's direction, his Cruciatus Curse in full effect on the helpless young wizard. Ginny turned to the Dark Lord. "_Expelliarmus!_" His wand was thrust from his hand, but after a flick of his wrist the wand returned to Voldemort's grip. The Dark Lord smirked at the young girl.

Harry knew that he had to get Voldemort's attention on him, and away from Ginny. If he did that, though, Voldemort would cast his killing curse and Ginny would jump in the way again. He wasn't sure what he should do.

Voldemort made the decision for him. His attention still focused on Ginny, he raised his wand. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

"_Eradico Patronus!_"

Harry saw a wall of white smoke float in front of Ginny and block the curse. He looked behind him and saw Kevin pointing his wand at the wall of smoke. This was what Harry had been waiting to see since he first knew about it: the way to deflect the killing curse. Kevin was using the Patronus Charm as a way to break up the spell and deflect it away, harmlessly.

Voldemort's earlier smirk turned to a scowl. "Must you continue to be a thorn in my side, boy? When will you learn that your efforts are futile?"

"About five seconds after you're dead," Kevin replied, sarcasm clear in his voice. "I'll never stop annoying you or making myself a nuisance to you." He aimed his wand at Voldemort. "And this is just the beginning. _Stupefy!_"

Voldemort deflected the spell with a shield charm. "_Crucio!_"

Kevin dove to avoid the Cruciatus Curse. Harry was not about to wait around for Voldemort to remember the others. He ran towards Ginny, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the ensuing battle. Hermione had joined the group and was looking after Ron. He had not been under the curse for long, but he still needed a little help moving.

Kevin and Voldemort traded spell for spell, back and forth with neither gaining a clear advantage. Harry watched with growing frustration. "I can't just sit by."

But sitting by was the last thing on anyone's mind. Hermione saw the two dueling wizards and aimed her wand. A blue jet of light shot from her wand and hit the edge of Voldemort's robes. Flames suddenly burst from the light and the Dark Lord was caught on fire. Voldemort quickly discarded his robes, but his attention was forced away from his son.

Kevin turned to the students. "Harry! Ginny! Toss me your wands, quick!"

They didn't ask questions or waste time before throwing their wands across the street to Kevin. He placed them together with his own wand. "_Vinculum!_"

White light encompassed the wands as they merged into a single wand. Kevin took a deep breath. "Let's see how you like this for a thorn in your side…_Father!_"

"_Eradico Potentia!_"

The village shook with the force of an earthquake. Voldemort's body was covered in white light, his screams could be heard over the shouts of wizards throughout the village. In a matter of seconds, the light shot out from Voldemort and washed over Hogsmeade and all those in it. Death Eaters were thrust to the ground, but Aurors and students were left standing. 

Harry tried to see what was happening to Voldemort. The light had extinguished itself, but the Dark Lord was nowhere to be found. His forces suddenly started disapparating from wherever they had fallen. The village was soon empty of Death Eaters.

Harry and the others looked around for Kevin and found him lying in the streets, his arms and legs spread wide. _Not again_, Harry thought. _He can't be dead._

As they got closer, they could see his chest bobbing up and down. Kevin was breathing…and laughing. Ginny knelt down beside his head. "Are you all right?" she asked, softly.

Kevin made a gesture towards the Three Broomsticks. "Can one of you go in there and get me a drink? Preferably something strong that will make me forget all of this."

_A/N: __I intended to bring Ginny back because I like her as a character, and there was no way I was going to create Kevin for the sole purpose of killing him._


	42. Why A Man Fights

The battle was over, and the castle was celebrating like it never had before. The Great Hall was filled with students, teachers and Aurors eating and cheering wildly for their accomplishments earlier that day.

The Gryffindor table seemed to be celebrating the hardest, at least to Harry's eyes. Seamus and Dean, at one point, got up on the table and started doing an Irish dance until Kevin came around and dragged them back to their seats. It wasn't that he didn't want the boys to be in a jovial mood, but he preferred to stop anything that could cause an accident. With all the food and drink scattered around, it was possible that the two boys could have slipped.

It then came as a surprise to the entire hall when Kevin bounded up on the staff table and started a dance of his own. He was only doing it for a few seconds until he remembered what a horrible dancer he was and took his seat again. The hall was indeed alive with happiness.

_Alive_, Harry thought.

He looked up at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and remembered that this man had died at one time. Harry remembered seeing his corpse lying in the streets of Hogsmeade; an image that Harry will never forget. Even though the timeline was changed, it still haunted him that something like this could actually happen.

Remembering the previous timeline drew Harry's attention away from the head table and turned it to the red-haired beauty sitting beside him. He hadn't told Ginny about what had happened yet, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to. Telling his girlfriend that she had died while protecting him wasn't something that could be brought up in conversation easily. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ginny gazed up into his eyes and kissed him. _It can wait_, he thought.

He glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco Malfoy celebrating along with everyone. Malfoy noticed that he was being watched, and gave Harry a spiteful glare. Harry thought about what Malfoy had said in the other timeline, and thought, _He'll never believe that he could really say something like that._ It was a shame really. Harry sort of liked that side of Malfoy.

The party lasted for almost an hour before Professor Dumbledore called for order. With a wave of his hands, the food and drinks were cleared from the tables and floors. The students sat quietly as the headmaster addressed them. "Today, I can say with great certainty, that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has produced the finest students that I have seen in my long years here. I am proud of all of you, those that fought and those that had the good sense not to rush into something that they were unprepared for. Indeed, it perhaps was the cool heads of some of the less experienced students to stay behind that we have no fatalities." His head inclined towards the Gryffindor table. Harry caught the little wink Dumbledore gave him. "Though some of our students suffered injuries, I have full confidence in Madam Pomfrey and the medical wizards from St. Mungo's to fix them up, good as new.

"I do, however, have some rather disturbing news." Dumbledore paused for a moment to clear his throat. "Voldemort is not dead."

The Great Hall suddenly exploded with murmurs and shouts to contradict the headmaster. "But we saw him disappear!" "Professor Hall used a spell on him!" "The ground shook!"

Dumbledore raised his hands to silence all the voices. "I know that you all saw the Dark Lord disappear, but that was only a victory for a battle. The war is still very much alive."

Kevin stood up to address the students. "What some of you saw was a dispelling charm that takes a great deal of power to cast. It works much like the Unforgivable Curses in that the wielder has to want to use the curse badly enough to put enough force behind it. It isn't used often, because most people who would go so far as to dispel a wizard would just as soon kill them. That, and the spell can only be used once. After a wizard or witch has been affected by the curse, it can never be used on them again. Their body and powers have adapted to it and can repel it. Also, the curse is only useful for one year, sometimes less." Kevin folded his hands in front of him. "I knew that I could not kill Voldemort, but I could stop him for a while." He sat back down.

Harry was stunned. Voldemort was still alive, but powerless. This would be a perfect opportunity to hunt him down, while he was weak. This chance would never come again.

Dumbledore spoke again. "We tell you this, so that you may understand the necessity for continuing study in the coming years. Your learning will, of course, take place here at Hogwarts. The Ministry has decided to lift the ban on the school in light of recent events."

The hall cheered once again. The school was going to stay open, and the students would be allowed back next year. This news almost overshadowed the shocking revelation that Voldemort was still alive. Dumbledore allowed the cheering for only a moment. "We are all proud that the school may continue to teach you all, but I must now ask that you return to your dormitories. Though term will not officially end for another few weeks, I see no reason for you all to remain on the grounds. The Hogwarts express will be here at ten o'clock tomorrow to return you all home."

He bid the students goodnight and dismissed them to their dormitories. Harry and Ginny got to their feet, but had not gone far when Kevin's hand fell on Harry's shoulder. He looked up at the older wizard. "You two, with me," Kevin said. He kept a firm grip on his shoulder so as not to lose the two Gryffindors.

They walked down the corridor and proceeded into Kevin's office. He told them to take a seat in front of his desk, and he sat behind it. Harry and Ginny exchanged confused glances. "What are we…" Harry started to ask.

Kevin put a finger to his lips to cut him off. "In a moment," he replied. They sat in silence until the door to the office opened once again and Dumbledore walked in carrying his Pensieve. He set the stone basin on Kevin's desk. Kevin got to his feet, "Albus, you called this meeting. What's this all about?"

Dumbledore glanced over at Harry. "Mr. Potter and I have something that we must share with you and Miss Weasley." He waved a hand at Harry. "Please come over here, Harry."

Harry stood and walked over to the Pensieve. Dumbledore took out his wand and placed it near Harry's temple. As he pulled it away, a long silver strand of smoke followed the tip. Dumbledore placed the strand into the Pensieve and swirled it with his wand. After a moment, smoke started to billow up from the basin. Harry knew what Dumbledore was doing now.

He was going to show Kevin and Ginny their deaths.

The smoke started to clear and reveal the battle of Hogsmeade. Wizards were casting spell after spell against one another. The scene started to shake and Harry knew he was being dragged by Kevin. The next scene happened much slower then what Harry remembered. Griff aimed his wand at his brother and cast the killing curse. The view shifted to show Kevin's body lying spread out on the street.

Harry glanced over at Kevin and saw a frightened look on his face. He had never seen this seemingly brave and determined wizard look ill before, but it seemed that Kevin's face had gone white. When Harry looked back over at the Pensieve, he saw the image of Voldemort dominating the smoke. The Dark Lord had his wand fixed on Harry, spoke the incantation… and Harry had to turn his head away.

Ginny's image flung itself in front of the curse, and her body was thrust back into Harry's. Ginny clutched Harry's arm as she watched herself being killed by Voldemort. Harry turned to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The smoke fell back into the Pensieve.

Kevin fell back into his chair. "Was that supposed to be some sort of joke, Albus? If it was, then it wasn't funny."

Dumbledore shook his head. "What I have just showed you was Harry's memories of the battle that took place at Hogsmeade."

"That's not possible," Kevin replied. "Ginny's still alive, and so am I. That has to be a mistake." Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out a small glass sphere with a flame inside. Kevin relaxed his posture. "The _tempus_ flame. So, Harry went back in time?"

"As well as Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "It was their choice to change the events of what happened earlier this day. They knew the consequences of their actions."

"Consequences?" Ginny asked.

Kevin slapped his forehead. "Voldemort. He was killed in the previous timeline, wasn't he?" Dumbledore nodded. "In this timeline, all I did was take his powers away. How did it happen?"

Dumbledore walked over to Harry and Ginny. "It was the bond between these two that brought his downfall. Much like the protection that Lily gave you, Harry, Ginny also was able to give you a barrier that could deflect the Dark Lord's curse. The ultimate cost, unfortunately was her life. Now that she is alive again, the protection is gone."

Kevin stood up. "Well, we weren't counting on the protection anyway."

"No, we weren't," Dumbledore answered. He handed the _tempus_ flame to Kevin and left the room.

Harry looked from the door to Kevin. "What's going on?"

Kevin set the glass sphere on the desk. "Sit down, Harry, and you Ginny." They sat back down in their chairs. Kevin was silent for a moment. "Harry, what you and Ron and Hermione did took courage. Especially with the chance that Voldemort would be brought back to life as well. I have to ask, though. What was going through your mind when you agreed to do this?"

Harry looked down at his feet. "I don't know. I just wanted to put things right."

"But things were already right," Kevin replied. "Voldemort was dead. How could you risk bringing him back, as well as us?"

Harry's head shot up and he looked into Kevin's eyes. "Don't tell me I made the wrong decision! I did what I thought was right!"

"And what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know!" Harry shouted. Ginny shrunk back a bit. "Why are you questioning my choice like this? Why are making me feel like I should have left you and Ginny dead? Shouldn't you be grateful?"

Kevin leaned back. "Who said I'm not grateful? I just want to know why you did what you did…because I have to know that you can make another hard choice."

Harry's voice softened. "What choice?"

Kevin looked over at Ginny. "Tell me something, Ginny. Why did you fight today?"

Ginny, who was surprised to be included in the discussion, folded her hands in her lap. "I wanted to keep Harry safe."

Kevin smiled. "Amazing that girls will give more honest answers then boys ever will." He looked back over at Harry. "That's why you did what you did, isn't it Harry? You wanted Ginny back, right?" Harry nodded slightly. "There's no shame in that. I would do anything to keep Sara alive. Fighting for someone you care about is the most noble reason to fight, but you don't have anyone else to fight for do you, Harry?"

"I don't understand."

"Well, Ginny is alive. Ron and Hermione can take care of themselves. The school is relatively safe as long as Voldemort is powerless. All you have to do is pass the last year of school, and take on Voldemort whenever he gets back to power." Kevin grabbed the _tempus_ flame and turned it around in his hands. "But what if, somewhere down the line, you decide that your reasons to fight don't serve your own interests."

Harry was shocked. "Serve my own interests? That's a selfish reason to fight."

Kevin laughed. "You think that people stand up to Dark Wizards for purely noble causes." His laughter got louder. "The naiveté of youth. Harry, the most basic reason to fight is self-preservation. We all have the need to stay alive, but some of us are lucky enough to have more people's lives to worry about. That's why Dumbledore gave me this." He pointed to the glass sphere. "We're going on a little trip."

He stood up and motioned for the students to do so as well. They stood close to one another. "This little bit of fire has a lot of uses, if you know how to use it."

_"Des Lagrate...Mori Tempe Et Intervalia!_

Harry knew this burning sensation that washed over his body. The _tempus_ flame had been shattered and the fire within had been unleashed. He was being pulled back in time, but for what reason?

He felt Ginny clutch his arm. Harry wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. The trip eventually ended and Harry's breathing stopped when he realized where he was.

Godric's Hollow.

But at what time period he couldn't be sure. It was night in the village, but lights from inside the house illuminated the evening. Harry wanted to run up to the door and go inside, but he was frozen in his tracks. Ginny knew this place as well. "What are we doing here? Why aren't we still at Hogwarts?"

Kevin walked in front of them, looking up at the house. "Ginny, we're here to give Harry a reason to keep going, to keep fighting. He has the drive to become one of the greatest wizards ever. He knows it, but there are times when he doubts his own prowess." He turned to look at them. "After tonight, nothing will stop him from doing what he knows is right." Kevin walked up towards the front door.

Harry wanted to shout at him, to tell him not to knock on the door. A part of him, though, was eager to see this through. Ginny placed a hand on his arm and gently led him forward. Kevin raised a hand and lightly rapped on the door. A few moments passed before it opened. A tall man with jet-black hair stood in the entryway. Harry almost fainted.

Kevin extended a hand. "James, good to see you again."

James Potter accepted the handshake. "We've been expecting you. Come in."

James walked into the house, closely followed by Kevin. Harry didn't move from the front step. Ginny leaned in close. "Harry, whatever happens, I'm here for you." Hearing this did a bit to alleviate Harry's anxiety, but not much.

The students entered the house and walked to the living room. Harry stopped once again as he saw a red-haired woman sitting in a rocking chair holding a small baby. She looked up at him. Her lips curled into a smile, "Hello, Harry."

Harry didn't know what he was supposed to do. His mother was sitting right in front of him, speaking to him…and holding him in her arms at the same time. Ginny was fascinated by this whole ordeal. "What's going on, Kevin?"

Kevin took a seat on the sofa beside Lily. "Visiting some old friends. Have a seat." He waved at a set of armchairs. Harry had to be guided to one of them. "Harry, Ginny, meet James and Lily Potter." He reached over and placed a hand on the baby's forehead, brushing back a bit of hair from his face. "And this, is baby Harry."

Neither student said a word or made a move. They were in utter shock at what had just been said. Ginny's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out of it. She finally was able to say, "What…d-did you jus…"

James, who was standing behind his wife, chuckled. "Articulate thing, isn't she?"

Kevin smiled again. "I said, these are the Potters; James, Lily and Harry. At least, these are them in 1981." Ginny' mouth started to move again, but Kevin cut her off. "It was the _tempus_ flame. It brought us back in time."

Harry couldn't take his eyes off of his mother or the baby she was holding. He watched her cradle the infant in her arms and marveled. He always wondered what it would have been like to be held in his mother's arms. Now, it seemed like he could find out…

"Kevin, have we come back to…" He stopped. Harry wasn't sure how much he should say in front of his parents.  
Kevin lowered his head. "Harry, we're not here for that."

James walked over to his son. "Harry…son," he paused for a moment. "For whatever reason Kevin brought you here, you should just listen."

Kevin raised his head. "Harry, this little trip is meant to show you why you need to keep training to fight. We aren't here to change anything. I just thought you might want to meet your parents." He got up and walked out of the room.

Ginny's gaze followed him out. She got to her feet and left after him, quickly. Harry wanted to go as well, but he remained in the room with his parents. Lily stood up. "Would you like to hold the baby, Harry?"

Harry wasn't sure how it would feel to hold his infant self, but he extended his arms. Lily set young Harry in his arms. He cradled his younger self close to his chest. The little boy looked up at him, smiling. "Was I really this small?"

Lily sat on the armrest of the chair. "Yes, you were, and I'm glad that we get to see you as a young man."

Harry looked up at his mother, his eyes suddenly full of concern. "You can't stay here. The both of you have to leave this place. If you stay here, then you'll…"

James held up a hand to silence his son. "We already know what's going to happen, Harry. Kevin and Dumbledore have explained it all to us."

"Then, how can you stay here?"

James took a deep breath. "Because we have to, Harry. Some things can be changed, but some things must not. Your mother and I are prepared to accept what will happen for the greater good."

Lily ran a hand through Harry's hair. "Besides, as long as we know you are safe, then we don't need anything else." Tears started rolling down Harry's cheeks. Lily wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. James knelt down in front of his son and embraced him as well.

For a moment, the Potters were reunited.

Ginny left the house, still following Kevin's stride. "Where are you going?" she called after him. "What is this all about?"

Kevin stopped. "You should be back inside with Harry. He needs you right now."

Ginny walked around him, coming eye to eye with her professor. "No, what he needs is answers, and you don't seem inclined to give them. All right, you brought us back in time, but for what? Are you just trying to make Harry feel even worse then has already felt?"

Kevin shook his head. "Of course not. The last thing I want is to make him feel bad, but this is necessary."

"Why?" Ginny pleaded. "Why give him this false hope?"

"How is it false, Ginny?" Kevin asked. "Harry wants to save his parents, right? Well, he's going to get his chance."

Ginny's eyes seemed to glaze over for a second. "What?"

"Tell us about Ginny, Harry," Lily said. "What's she like?"

Harry, still a bit emotional, rubbed his eyes. "She's wonderful. I can't imagine a day without her."

"She's a Weasley, right?" James asked. Harry nodded. "The Weasleys are a good family. You're lucky to have found someone like her."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am."

At that moment, Kevin and Ginny walked back into the living room. Kevin looked down at Harry. "It's time to leave, Harry."

Harry jumped from the chair. "What? Why so soon?"

"The _tempus_ flame can only keep us in this time period for a short while," Kevin explained. "We only have a few more minutes before we're pulled back to out own time, and I need a little time with James and Lily. I've got to wipe their memories so they don't remember any of this."

Harry didn't want to leave, but he took some comfort that his parents wouldn't know what was going to happen to them. James and Lily gave their son a warm embrace and an affectionate kiss before he left the house with Ginny. Kevin, now alone with the two elder Potters, reached inside his robes. Instead of taking his own wand out, he pulled two battered wands from an inside pocket.

He handed them to James. "These should do the trick, at least for what you need to be done."

James took the wands. "They'll do fine." He handed Kevin another pair of far better looking wands. "Are you sure that they'll be able to use these, instead of their own wands?"

Kevin put the wands into his robes. "With a little practice, I think they'll do fine. Besides, there's no way that Voldemort can be defeated with a wand just like his own. The only other way that I know of is not something that I want to try…again." He shook James' hand. "Remember, Harry's wand will only slow him down for a minute." Lily embraced him. "I'm sorry I can't do more."

Lily stepped back from him. "We know what we have to do."

Kevin took out his wand. _"Lumos!"_ A light flashed from the tip of his wand. "Have to make Harry believe I actually did the spell. He'll sleep better if he thinks that you two don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."

The flames rescinded and the three time travelers found themselves back in Kevin's office. Kevin sat behind his desk. "Sit down, the both of you." The students took their seats.

"What was the point of that?" Harry said.

"Like I said," Kevin answered. "I'm giving you a reason to keep fighting. Do you want to save your parents?" Harry nodded. "Then, Voldemort must be defeated. His wand holds the captured spirits of your parents." Harry's breath caught in his throat. Kevin let this information sink in before he continued. "When Voldemort kills someone, their spirits are held captive by him. You saw this when he was resurrected in the graveyard and your two wands connected for the first time. Even though his powers are gone for the time being, he still holds these spirits captive."

"Why didn't anyone tell me this before?" Harry asked.

Kevin folded his arms. "We weren't sure that something like this was possible, until your experience in the graveyard. After that, Dumbledore was able to figure out exactly what had happened. If you want to help your parents, then you have to train…both of you." He looked between Harry and Ginny. "This isn't a one-on-one thing. Harry, you can't be expected to take this on by yourself." He reached into his robes and pulled out the two wands he had gotten from James and Lily. He passed James' wand to Harry, and Lily's to Ginny. He didn't tell them that they weren't their original wands, but they seemed to know something was different about them. Kevin thought quickly. "Mr. Olivander had to do a refinishing job on them, quickly. They may seem different, but they'll work better then ever."

"What do we do now?" Harry asked.

Kevin waved his own wand and an hourglass appeared on his desk. He flipped it over so the sand would start running. "We prepare, Harry. The countdown has begun. In a years time, Voldemort will return…

"…and you've got to be ready."

To Be Continued...


End file.
